


Welcome to Beacon Hills

by DreamCatz



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Hale Fire, Alternate Universe, Chris and Kate have a younger sister, Derek is still a sour wolf, Family Drama, Family Feels, Hunter code is law, It was attempted but not successful, Kate is a bitch, Multi, Peter isn't so creepy, Protective!Chris, Talia is a great mom, Talia is manipulative, Victoria isn't bitchy, all about family really, not in a bad way, scott is a true alpha
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-10
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2018-06-01 07:53:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 38,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6509398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamCatz/pseuds/DreamCatz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kate failed to kill the Hale pack with the fire, and Kate doesn't like failure. So years later she comes back to Beacon Hills in attempt to finish the job she started. However the moral side, the side that follows the Hunter Code almost religiously, of the Argent family has moved in to stop her.</p><p>Now at the same time throw in two packs residing in one area, teen hormones, love life and family drama, and emotionally inept people!</p><p>Welcome to Beacon Hills!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> This story is an Alternate University setting, which means that there will be elements of the plot which don't match up with the television series (so please don't yell at me for that). There will also be interpretations of Hunter Code that may or may not line up with how they are portrayed in the tv series.  
> And I would like to apologize in advance for any grammatical errors you might find. I do not have a beta-reader at the moment.

"Allison, get up! If you are late for your first day of school your father is going to kill me!" Rachel yelled from downstairs as she busied herself with trying to make breakfast for her niece. There was coffee on to brew, toast in the toaster, and bacon frying next to her eggs on the skillet. It took everything in Rachel's power not to set off the fire alarm in the house, because if she did Chris would never let her live it down. "How the fuck does Victoria do all this shit every morning?" Rachel muttered under the breath as she flipped her eggs. 

The toaster went off behind her as she tried to take the bacon off the fire. There were a string of curses that flew from her mouth as a piece of hot grease fell on her skin. Domestic life was not a life for her. No she preferred unhealthy take-out, getting to go where she wanted when she wanted, and working as a bartender till late hours. This family life crap was so overrated. Why did Chris enjoy it so much?

Rachel got her answer when her niece showed up in the kitchen and set her book bag down. Of course Chris had fallen deeply when his daughter had been born. Allison was a great kid to have. She was polite, smart, and wonderfully beautiful. It sometimes made Rachel think about her future and if she would find someone to settle down with and have kids. Granted that she would have to find someone who would be willing to put up with her crazy lifestyle and snark. 

"Sorry Aunt Rachel. I was doing my makeup." Allison moved around the kitchen and took care of the toast. "Where are my parents?"

"They had to go to the police station and get paperwork done because of the guns." Rachel told her smoothly as she slid her eggs and bacon onto two separate plates. The bacon was just a little crispy around the edges and the eggs might have been just slightly overcooked, but overall it was still edible. "They asked me to come over and make sure you left the house with enough time to make it to school. I thought I would try my hand at breakfast." She extended her hand to gesture at the plates.

"You hate cooking." Her niece said with a small smile. "Why did you make me breakfast?"

"I made **us** breakfast." Rachel corrected as she pulled out two forks and passed one to Allison. "And I made it because I know you'd like it. This is your first day at a new place, and I know how it feels to be the new kid in town. When I was your age Gerard was moving us from place to place every other week." She took a moment to stab her fork into a piece of egg and eat it. "Now eat before you run out of time."

Allison didn't bother with any more questions and instead poured herself a cup of juice. The two ate in comfortable silence and when they finished they washed the dishes and put them away so that Victoria wouldn't yell at them later for it. They went over school supplies together to make sure she would have everything for the first day: books, calculator, paper, highlighters, notebooks, and pencils.

"Alright, I have my keys, wallet, and book bag. I think I'm good to go. Thanks for breakfast Aunt Rachel." The young Argent hugged her aunt before walking to the door.

"Pay attention to speed limits!" Rachel yelled as the door swung close.

She listened as Allison's car started and backed out of the driveway. As soon as she couldn't hear the motor anymore she let out a deep sigh. It wasn't fair to the child that her father constantly moved from town to town. It was even more unfair to keep her in the dark about their family linage, but the call was not her's to make, and so she kept her mouth shut. One day they would have to tell her the truth.

"Alright time to get to work." Rachel told herself as she pushed herself off the chair and into the bathroom. She brushed her brown hair back into a low ponytail that reached just above her shoulder blades before brushing her teeth and washing her face. Her eyes were bright green, reflecting the good sleep she'd gotten last night after helping Chris move into his new home. 

Her job today was to try and dig up any information on her sister, Kate Argent. Rumors said that she would be back in Beacon Hills to finish a job, and it was no doubt to anyone what job was being referred to. Kate had tried, and failed, to wipe out the Hale pack via house fire. The actual house had been burned to the ground, but luckily they'd been able to tip off the pack and convince them to be elsewhere during the time of the fire. Since then there has been a mix of respect and animosity between the Hales and the Argents. 

Making herself a thermos full of coffee Rachel grabbed her keys and headed out to her car. If Kate was in town the first places to check would be abandon warehouses, bars, and if all else failed the woods. Her sister was crafty when it came to making her tracks vanish. A skill she'd honed since being on the run for so long.

* * *

"God damn it!" Rachel yelled as she kicked an empty beer can across the floor. It skittered pitifully and clanged against a metal support beam. "Where the hell are you hiding you conniving bitch?" The Argent was almost ready to start seething with rage and frustration.

Wherever she went it always lead to a dead end. No one had seen Kate at any of the bars or clubs and this was the last warehouse that she could have set up in. Chris had contacted everyone he knew and no one, not a _single_ one, had heard from her. There was always a possibility that the rumors of her coming back to Beacon Hills were false, but there was just something in her bones that told Rachel that Kate was here. It wasn't like the older Argent to let something like this go. 

Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. There was no reason for her to lose her head at a time like this. By now the Hales had to know that they were back in town, and that was a monster of a situation on its own that she was not looking forward to. With one last look of the area Rachel turned around and walked back to her car. Slamming the door with more force than necessary she started the vehicle and backed out of the parking lot.

Or at least she tried to.

In front of her were three of the Hales from the Hale pack.

"Fuck me." She groaned as she put the car into park. They must have heard her because the one in the center's lip twitch upward slightly.

Rachel sat there for a moment, waiting to see what they would do, but they didn't move out of the way. They just stood there, waiting for her. The huntress's eye twitched as she shut off her car. This wasn't how she wanted to approach them. Hell she didn't want to approach them at all, but it seemed this was the way it was going to have to be. Opening the door she stepped out and raised her hands to show she was unarmed.

"Argent, right?" The woman in the middle asked evenly.

"Rachel Argent." 

"I am Talia Hale. This is my daughter Laura and my son Derek." She said gesturing to her children at her side.

Well fuck. It looked like Rachel was dealing the with actual fucking Alpha of the Hale pack. That made her back straighten more as her muscles tightened up, and her heart kick up a notch. There was no way they didn't notice her change in posture. They were werewolves after all.

"What are you doing here Argent? We assumed after the incident that you weren't going to show your faces around here." Talia said as she stepped closer. The wasn't really to be intimidating. It was more like a show of dominance. A show of who was Alpha.

"We had no choice but to come back. Someone of interest might be in the area and we are trying to prevent conflict from breaking out." Rachel thought that sounded okay. It wasn't giving away too much and it wasn't a lie either. "There aren't many of us here either. Just myself, my brother, and his wife and child."

The Alpha seemed the mull this information over in her head. A group of hunters that small posed no real threat to a pack as big as her's.

"Who are you hunting?" She finally asked.

Ah, wasn't that the question that would set them off? It wasn't like Rachel could lie to them. They would be able to hear her heart, and being dishonest wasn't a way to earn trust from someone they would likely need help from. Yet telling them might just send them into a fit of rage. Kate wasn't the poster child for huntress of the year. She'd been the one responsible for the house fire, and if Chris hadn't been there in time to warn them of her plan then the Hale pack would not be standing today. 

There was no real choice for her to make. She had to tell them. Not answering them would be as bad as lying.

"Kate."

Talia's eyes flashed red quickly and it almost made Rachel step back, but she held her ground and waited to see what the Alpha would do with this information. Her children visibly tensed beside her, but they managed to keep more composure than their mother.

"Is she in the area?" Talia questioned as she forced herself into a composed state. Her hands were clenched by her side, but that was the only indication that she was angry.

"We aren't sure. I've been asking around about her, but nothing has given me any indication that she is actually in town. My brother is working on his contacts now as we speak, but so far he has had the same amount of luck I've had." Rachel slowly allowed herself to relax more as she continued to speak. It didn't look like she was in any immediate danger. "I've yet to check the woods, but if she is here then she has buried herself deep. She's got to have contacts that are looking out for her and keeping her hidden from us."

The Alpha nodded her head slowly in understanding.

"As precaution I would warn you to keep an eye open for her, or anything strange. I'm not saying she is in town, but I'm not saying that she isn't either." Rachel stressed. The Hale mother nodded her head soberly before turning and walking away. Laura followed behind her quickly, but Derek remained in place staring at her with a hard gaze. His mouth was pressed thin, and for a moment Rachel thought he was going to say something to her, something maybe not so nice, but instead he turned around and followed after them.

Rachel took another deep breath and let it out slowly. This wasn't how she wanted to talk to the Hales. She didn't want to be the person to talk to them at all, because if anyone was going to have a good interaction with them it would have been her brother. They semi-respected Chris for what he did. They didn't know her and she didn't know them. The only thing Rachel knew about them was that mother Hale was the Alpha and that her son Derek was how Kate managed to get to the family. The poor bastard had been manipulated and used by her sister.

 "Fantastic." She sighed out as she climbed back into her car. 

* * *

"They what?" Chris asked as Rachel sat heavily on a table chair. Victoria and Chris were sitting across from her at the dinner table. Allison was with her friend Linda, or Layla, or something like that at a party. Honestly Rachel was surprised that her mother let her go to a party. Maybe they were finally learning to let their kid live her life for once.

"They found me at a warehouse and questioned me about why we were here." The huntress wanted to run her hands over her face. "God, it is like I didn't just tell you this. Are you even listening to anything I'm saying?" She tried to sound teasing, but she was more weary than anything else. Now that the Hales knew who they were after, she doubted they would just idly sit by and wait for them to catch Kate.

"What did you tell them?" Victoria was leaning forward now. She almost seemed anxious now.

"I told them the truth." 

"What!" The redheaded woman stood up violently. "Why? Now _they_ will be hunting her." 

Rachel **really** didn't like to be yelled up.

"So what? What if they hunt her? What if they kill her? She deserves no better than that!" Now Rachel was yelling and standing. But standing wasn't enough. Now she was mad and with her anger she started to pace. "She tried to kill them! All of them! The Code states that we **only** kill werewolves who have taken the lives of innocent people, who have turned people against their will, or who have openly started pack wars for no reason and led to people dying. Kate had no reason to go after the Hales and yet she did! She is no better than my father, and people who dishonor the Code are not hunters, they are murders!" 

A silence fell over the room when she finished. Chris was still seated, and he looked lost in thought as he stared blankly at the table. Victoria herself was shunned into silence for trying to protect Kate. Everyone in the room knew the Code, and knew that Kate had broken it on purpose. 

Either the Hales would kill her or they would. There was no other way.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled in your home." Rachel said hoarsely as she took her seat again. Victoria took her seat next to her husband without a word. They were both at fault and it was unnecessary to point it out.

"We have to find her, Rachel. We have to set this right. She will only keep killing if we don't do this. She has to be stopped." Chris finally spoke. It was rather apparent that he was talking to himself more than to her.

"I know, brother. I know we do."

 


	2. Don't You Own A Shirt?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Rachel faces off with Kate and Derek saves her ass. Without a shirt on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you read carefully you will see some Deaton/Talia in this chapter.

"Alright. Communications check you two." Victoria said as she turned to face her radio receiver in the SUV. "Chris you go first."

"Mic test. One. Two. Three." His voice echoed though the radio clearly and off of Rachel's radio. 

"Rachel." Victoria prompted.

"Mic test. Uno. Dos. Tres." She spoke into her radio and it echoed off clearly. 

"Okay it seems like communication isn't going to be an issue tonight. You both have your guns and ammunition?" The redheaded woman looked over both of them critically.

Chris and Rachel were both geared up to go hunting. They both were sporting black combat boots, dark jeans, and white shirts covered with a black jacket. Chris had his rifle and hunting knife while Rachel was armed with her duo pistols. Each had two extra clips of rounds and a radio attached to the hip. 

"You take the east side of the woods, Rachel. I'll take the west side that leads to the river. If you hear anything or see anything you call in to Victoria and I. We'll come to you. Don't engage Kate alone." Rachel wanted to roll her eyes at his stern tone of voice. She wasn't his daughter, so why was he treating her as such?

"Yes, Chris, I know. You don't have to treat me like a child every time we do this. We are hunting one person, not an Alpha pack." The huntress said snappily, but her demeanor changed when Chris grabbed her arm and yanked her to him roughly.

"Listen to me close, Rachel. Kate is more dangerous than you can even _imagine_. If she is willing to break the Code what makes you think she is opposed to killing either of us to get to the Hale Pack? Hmm? She was raised a Hunter and she knows how we operate so keep your eyes open and your guard up. You let it drop for just a fraction of a second and you are dead. Do you understand me?" Chris was in her face now, and it was almost enough to make Rachel balk back.

"I understand." She said mutely.

Her brother stared at her hard for a few more moments before releasing her and moving into the treeline. Rachel took a moment to compose herself before she did the same in the opposite direction. 

* * *

 

It was darker in the treeline than it was on the dirt path she'd been on before. There was a mist-like fog hanging in the still air, and what was more troublesome was that the moon illuminated it, making it hard to see through. The only upside was that it gave Rachel enough light to see where she was stepping so as to avoid making too much noise.

The only noises she heard echoing around her were the rustling of leaves as she moved and the sounds of animal night life: crickets chirping, birds nesting, and the occasional sound of running rodents or passing deer.

And then the noise stopped suddenly, as if a telephone line had been snapped.

Rachel pressed herself tightly against the nearest tree and tried to calm her breathing. She could hear someone else walking through the trees. Unholstering her gun she flicked the safety off and peered around the trunk. No one was there. At least no one that she could see.

She took another step out and raised her gun. She heard a twig snap behind her, and before she could spin around a force slammed into the back of her and sent her to the ground. _Hard_.

The air was knocked out of her lungs and she whipped her arm back and opened fire in the direction of whatever had sent her off her feet. The body in question dove behind the tree as Rachel struggled to get herself to her feet.

"Damn, Rachel. Your aim hasn't improved at all over the years." Kate's voice rang out.

"Show yourself you bitch!" Rachel yelled as she got on steady legs. 

Kate peered from behind the tree and gave her a coy smile. It disturbed Rachel how at ease her sister seemed with the entire situation. Like she knew something Rachel didn't. 

There was a gunshot noise followed by a searing pain ripping through her right upper arm. Rachel dropped her gun accidentally, but dove behind a mound of high rise dirt for cover as another gunshot rang through the night. 

"So you do have help." Rachel said accusingly. "A bit unfair if you ask me."

"Oh dear baby sister... what about any of this seems fair?" Kate asked mockingly. "You and Chris are trying to kill me. **That** is unfair."

"You broke the Code! You tried to kill innocent people Kate. How did you expect things not to end this way?" Rachel retorted as she looked at her gunshot wound. It wasn't deep, but it was bleeding a lot and she would need something to stop it soon. 

"You and that stupid Code!" Kate roared out as another gunshot was fired in her direction. They were getting closer by the sound of things. "What is it with that Code? Huh? You think werewolves follow the rules? Why should we have to have rules? They are monsters, plain and simple, and they have to be put down like the dogs they are. Rachel, they aren't human. They aren't meant to survive."

"Do you hear yourself?" Rachel yelled as she crawled though the low hanging fog. She could see her sister and her lackey approaching where she had previously been. Coming up behind the male she tackled him to the ground and hit him as hard as she could in the back of the head. His body went limp and Rachel rolled off of him in just enough time to miss her sister's kick to the head.

With a yell she launched herself from the ground to her sister and sent them both into the hard earth. From there it was just an all out brawl. Fists flying, nails scratch, and at some point Kate bit her on the forearm hard enough to draw blood which earned her a headbutt from Rachel. They both were panting and getting to their feet when Rachel reached for her second gun, only to find it missing.

"Looking for this?" Kate asked smugly as she held up the younger Argent's gun.

"Fuck." Rachel hissed.

Kate didn't look all that menacing. Leaves and dirt were clinging in her hair, her upper lip was busted in two places, her eyebrow was bleeding, and her chin was cut open. 

Rachel knew she must have looked ten time worse. She could feel that her lower lip was busted, her cheek on the right side was bleeding, her gunshot wound was still sluggishly pumping out blood, and her jacket was ripped from tumbling on the ground. 

"You know I could let you go, Rachel. If you agree to help me." Kate lowered the gun slightly and pinned her with a piercing look. "We can do this together. We can finish them off, just you and me. We would be the best werewolf killing team."

"You're sick." Rachel spat. Kate's face hardened at that. 

"Well then, I hope you say hello to mom for me." Kate raised the gun, and Rachel braced for the gunshot, but instead she was grabbed from behind and thrown back onto the ground. 

Her back hit hard and the air left her lungs for a second time that night. The impact was enough to make bright dots dance across her vision and it took a moment for her body to realize it needed to breath. Hearing slowly came back to her and she could hear an inhuman roaring sound coming from where she'd just been standing. Her head lifted off the ground just high enough to see someone standing over her. It was a man, definitely. He had black hair and a triskele tattoo on his back.

There was more roaring from the man, and it finally clicked that he was a werewolf, which then led Rachel's brain to realizing that it was Derek Hale standing to her defense.

_Holy shit._

Kate raised the gun and fired into Derek's chest. The wolf dropped to the ground, and Kate had a look of bliss on her face, as if she'd just gotten her cake and was allowed to eat it too. That was until Derek got back onto his feet. 

"We aren't using wolfs bane bullets to kill you Kate." Rachel explained from her spot on the ground. "They have no effect on the Hales."

Now it was Kate's turn to curse as she turned tail and ran. Derek followed behind her, and from the corner of her eye Rachel saw what looked to be a black wolf following from the trees.

As they got further and further the noise lessened to the point where Rachel could listen to her own ragged breathing. It didn't feel like anything was broken, but she would certainly be sporting some awesome bruises tomorrow. 

 **"Rachel are you there?"** Her radio went off on her hip. With a pained groan she sat up enough to unhook the damn thing and hold it to her mouth.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm here." She said as she got to her feet slowly.

**"We are hearing gunshots. Are you okay?"**

"I'm fine. A little banged up, but I'm fine." Rachel picked some leaves from her air as she ambled around collecting her guns from the ground where they'd been dropped. "Kate got to me, but the wolves showed up and are in pursuit. I don't think I can follow them though. I'm in a bit of pain." She told her brother truthfully as she holstered her guns.

**"Wolves?"**

"Yeah, the Hales showed up."

**"Did they hurt you?"**

"No, he protected me actually."

**"He?"**

"Derek."

The line went silent for a moment and Rachel took the moment to listen to the silence. There were growls and howls far off, but it would have been impossible for Rachel to catch up to them.

**"Where are you? Can you make it back to the car on your own?"**

"Yeah, I'll make my way back. See you soon brother."

* * *

 

"Oh my god, Rachel." Chris said as he watched her slowly trudge to the car. "What the hell happened? I told you not to let your guard down around her." He hissed as he grabbed hold of her arm and helped her into the backseat of the SUV.

"It wasn't just her. There was some guy helping her. I was listening for her and it was actually him, she got me from behind, and when I faced her he shot me from the back." Rachel explained as she relaxed into the leather seating of the car. The atmosphere felt more relaxing when she was with her family. At least the sane part.

"Should we drive you to the hospital?" Victoria asked as she buckled herself into the drivers seat and started the car. 

"No need. I have a first aid kit at my house. Just drop me off and I can take care of myself." Rachel was still holding her arm from where she'd been shot. The bleeding was now only a slight oozing, but the blood loss was slowly starting to take a toll. 

"Are you sure?" Chris was starting to set her nerves off with how worried he sounded. All she wanted was to go home, clean up, eat and go to bed!

"Yes, I'm sure. You two have to get home soon or else Allison is going to start asking questions about where you've been." It was kind of a cheap tactic to use their daughter against them, but the duo shut their mouths and started to drive without further argument.

The drive was a silent one. Rachel kept her gaze focused out the window, but she could feel Chris looking at her from time to time. She knew that she couldn't really be mad at him for being so protective over her. They didn't have much family left since their father was off the wall, and now Kate was following in his footsteps. If it wasn't for Chris then maybe Rachel wouldn't be here either. How many times has her big brother had to haul her ass out of a sticky situation? How many times had she returned the favor?

It was a relief when the SUV pulled into her driveway next to her old maroon Honda CRV. Rachel's house was not nearly as big as her brothers. It was a starter home with a master bedroom, a guestroom, one and a half bathroom, a living area connected to a kitchen, and a small office space. All in all, she really liked it. It was small, but it had everything she needed.

"Thanks." She mumbled as she unhook her seat belt and opened the door.

"Call us if you need anything." Chris yelled as she shut the door. 

The huntress rolled her eyes when she had her back turned to him. What a nagger! Poor Allison was going to have a rough high school career with a father like him.

Rachel pulled out her keys and unlocked the front door before slipping inside smoothly. She hadn't bothered with purchasing an alarm for the house considering Kate wouldn't be bold enough to enter a home without some heavy backup. Working her way up the stairs Rachel could hear her body popping and protesting the at the action.

Fucking Kate. Stupid lackey. Idiot werewolves and their disregard that humans break easily! 

Rachel turned on her bedroom light so that she could see where she was stepping as she made her way to her bathroom. Under the sink she had a full emergency first aid kit waiting with her name on it. As she pulled it out and popped it open she did a once over in the mirror. Her jacket was trash, her shirt was wrecked, her face was messed up, and her arm was covered in dry blood. 

The jacket and shirt were pulled off quickly, but carefully, and thrown in the direction of the trashcan. Then she started to clean off her arm. The cut wasn't as deep as she thought it was, which thankfully meant that she wouldn't need to stitch is close. Wrapping it up in medical gauze she secured the binding and moved to cleaning the scrapes on her face. Her cheek was painfully red and her lip was swollen around the cut area, but that would fade by morning hopefully.

Once she was done doctoring herself she put all her supplies up and threw away any trash. It looked like tonight was gonna be a pizza night. Pulling out her phone she started to dial the nearby pizzeria when she stopped herself. Her hand had gone to her back wallet to check and see if she had cash for a tip when she realized she had no wallet.

"Fuck. No. No. No. This is not happening right now." Rachel breathed out in mild panic. Her wallet had everything in it. Her picture of the family, her state I.D., her credit card and debit card, and her photo of her favorite dog from her childhood. "God damn it." She must have dropped it in her fight with Kate. 

Throwing on a white tank top she took the stairs down two at a time. Looks like she would just have to go out and find it herself. As soon as she managed to unlock and open the front door she stepped outside. The stopped and looked down. 

Under her foot was her wallet. 

"What the hell?" She breathed as stooped to pick it up. Opening it she examined the contents and was relieved to find everything was still intact.

Looking up she swore she saw two blue eyes and a triskele tattoo disappear into the dark treeline across the road.

" _Derek?_ "

* * *

"So they know where you live?" Chris asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee. 

Rachel always hated the morning after a hunt. They always had a sit down and talked about their next move, and for some stupid reason she'd brought up the wallet incident. Personally she didn't think it was that big of a deal, but Chris was almost in full freak out mode. Thank god Victoria was with Allison on a shopping trip for new school shoes. The last thing the huntress needed was two people in freak out mode.

"Yeah. At least he does, but it isn't that surprising. My house is literally just on the other side of the preserve they own. The only thing intersecting it is the street I drive on." Rachel reasoned as she sipped slowly at her own mug of java. Her lip swelling had gone down and her cheek was now healing slowly. The redness was thankfully much less than before.

"How are you so calm about this?"

"Chris, I'm not expecting them to barge into my house and maul me during the night. Are you?" Rachel questioned as she put her cup on the counter. "We are fighting a common enemy right now so I doubt they are going to start a battle on two fronts. Plus, if they know where I live then they sure as hell know where you do too. So stop freaking out, breath, and think with your fucking head for a moment."

Her brother gave her a hard look, to which she returned. 

"I just don't like how Derek Hale showed up." He said slowly.

"He was returning my wallet. God knows that I need it for basically everything I do. Fuck, I should be giving the guy a gold star or a cookie for his deed, not questioning if he wants to kill me while I sleep."

Chris shook his head and finished off his cup of coffee before placing the cup in the sink to be cleaned later. It was clear that Chris wasn't just going to let this go, and Rachel didn't understand why, but instead of pushing his buttons she changed the subject.

"One of us is going to have to swing by the Hale place and ask them if they caught her." 

"You're not doing it." Her brother said quickly.

"And why not?" She asked defiantly.

"Because I don't want you to." His tone was stern, as if talking to a child. 

Always talking to a child. Rachel was always that child. God, she was not his child!

"Well, you've just made up my mind for me." She said harshly as she yanked her coat off the back of the chair and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To the Hale house! You can't tell me what to do and what not to do brother. I'm not a kid so maybe one day you'll stop treating me like one." With that she slammed his door closed and drove off.

* * *

 

 The drive over was short. Partly because she'd been lost in thought, and partly because she'd been speeding _way_ over the speed limit. 

As she got out of the car two girls showed at the front door to greet her. Or maybe greet wasn't the right word. They stood on the porch with their arms across their chest and defiant looks on their faces. One of the girls Rachel identified as Laura, but the other wasn't ringing any bells. Through with the appearance she had Rachel could deduce that the younger girl was still a Hale.

_How many kids does Talia have?_

"What do you want?" Laura inquired. It was a small relief that she didn't sound pissed off, even if her face said otherwise.

"I need to speak with your mother. The Alpha. Is she available at the moment?" Laura stared at Rachel for a long moment before turning to her sibling.

"Cora, go tell mom she has a visitor."

"Why do I have to go tell her?" The younger one, Cora, whined. 

"Because I'm older than you and I told you to. Now go." Laura said as she turned her sister around to march inside of the house. The whole interaction made a smile tug at Rachel's lips. It was nice to see a family interacting so long after not having one of her own. Well, she had one, but it was rather broken and twisted.

"Follow me. You can waiting in the living area." Laura turned and led Rachel inside the house. 

The first thing Rachel took notice of was that the whole structure was huge. This couldn't have been a house. It was a mansion! Along the walls were pictures of smiling faces, old drawings, and pictures of the preserve both in daylight and nighttime. The furniture was oak wood and well polished. The fireplace was cleaned out and ready to be lit. And the windows were opened in every room allowing the breeze from outside to flow in.

"This is a lovely house." Rachel commented as they reached the living room. The television was flipped on to the nature channel but the sound was turned off. A man was sitting on one end of the room with a book propped open in his lap. He looked up to observe her, but then seemed to lose interest and looked back down to his reading material.

"Thanks. Mom redid the whole thing after the fire." Laura said offhandedly as she flipped through the channels on the television. Rachel felt the muscles in her back tighten at the mentioning of the fire, and Laura seemed to notice from the corner of her eye. "My mom doesn't blame you for what happened. She just is careful around your family because we know what you are capable of."

Rachel nodded her head mutely, not trusting her voice at the moment.

"Laura!" A voice yelled out, followed by the thudding of feet down stairs. "Where did you put my car keys?" Derek Hale popped from around the corner to glare at his sister. Then he turned and looked at Rachel. "What are you doing here?" 

Rachel opened her mouth to respond but Laura cut her off.

"She is here to talk to mom, sour wolf." Laura didn't even bother to look over her shoulder at her brother when she spoke. Instead she kept her eyes trained on the television as she continued to flip though channels. "And I didn't take your stupid car keys."

"Stop calling me that." Derek said through clenched teeth. Rachel eased slowly more towards the couch were Laura sat. "Uncle Peter did you take them?"

"I did not." The man with the book told his nephew without looking up. "I saw Cora playing with them earlier."

"Of course she was." Derek sighed exasperatedly. The werewolf looked at Rachel with a scowl. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Rachel hadn't bothered looking away from Derek from the time he showed up. It was now that she could see why Kate chose Derek. He was good looking. Like, really good looking. Defined body, strong posture, and beautiful eyes. On top of all of that he was standing in the middle of the living room with no shirt, a low cut pair of jeans, and barefooted. This was his house, so it wasn't all that surprising, but still you would think he would have at least gone to get a shirt when he found out there was company.

"Do you even own a shirt?" The words slipped out without her consent, and as soon as they were out Rachel wanted the floor to open and swallow her. 

Derek gave her a blank stare as if not believing she'd just said that, Laura just about busted a gut with her laughing, and Uncle Peter looked up from his book with a small smile.

"What is with all the noise?" Talia asked as she showed up at the foot of the staircase. Behind her was a man with a darker complexion and a set of wise looking eyes. No doubt he was the pack emissary.

"Rachel just called Derek out on always walking around half naked." Peter supplied as he tilted his head down and started to read again. "It was rather amusing." He added as he gestured to Laura, who was on the ground holding her sides together.

"I see." The mother said slowly as she looked from Peter, to Laura, to her son, and then to Rachel. "Follow me. We can talk in the kitchen."

Rachel skittered around Derek, almost afraid that he would lash out and tear her face off, to follow Talia through the house. They entered the kitchen, which was a white tiled room with marble counter tops. 

"Tea or coffee?" Talia asked as she moved to the stove. "And don't say either because I insist."

"Coffee please." Rachel said as she took a seat at the table. The emissary sat across from her and flashed her a small comforting smile.

"Deaton I assume tea for you?"

"Yes please." Deaton said as he leaned back in his chair and got comfortable.

A few minutes later Talia was setting their mugs in front of them and assuming her place at the head of the table.

"So, what is it you would like to talk about?"

"I wanted to know if you caught Kate last night." Rachel said before sipping at her coffee. It was hot and the liquid burned her tongue, but it gave her something to do with her hands, so she toughed it out.

"No. Derek and I lost her at the river. She seems to have gotten better at covering her tracks." Talia took a sip of her own tea as she spoke. "Would you mind if I asked you a few questions of my own?" 

"This is your home, Alpha. You can do whatever you want." Rachel told her offhandedly.

"Why is Kate back?" Talia's hand tightened around her mug. "I have my theories, but I just want confirmation."

"My sister doesn't like to have unfinished jobs." The huntress explained slowly. "Kate is a sick individual and she wants you and your family dead. That is why she has returned to Beacon Hills."

Talia looked like she was just barely holding herself from shifting, the anger of knowing that someone wanted to kill her family was almost too great for her to keep composure, but to her credit her eyes didn't even flash colors. Deaton, who was sitting close to her extended his hand and placed it atop her's. The two shared a concerned look and Rachel looked down to give them a semi-private moment to themselves. 

"Why are _you_ here?" Deaton finally asked, breaking the silence that had fallen across the kitchen.

"I want to stop my sister from starting an all out war. Even if that means I have to kill her myself."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter Scott and his gang will make their appearance.  
> So excited!


	3. Don't Let Your Dad Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott McCall is a werewolf, who is also a true alpha, and is also dating Allison. Derek and Rachel share painful memories at a lacrosse game. The teens place bets on people's love lives. Derek and Rachel begin fake dating.  
> Maybe not all in that order.
> 
> Chris isn't going to like this...

"So which one is Scott?" Rachel asked as she looked on the field at the numbered jerseys. 

Allison had managed to convince her aunt to come to the second lacrosse game of the season to watch her new friends play and at first, Rachel didn't really think that was a good idea. Mainly because she didn't think she would care and it would show, but now that she was watching the team huddle up on the field she was starting to second guess herself. She did always like to watch football and basketball. Why should this be any different?

"Scott is number 11." Allison said as she pointed the boy out. "He is co-captain with Jackson."

"And who is Jackson?" Rachel asked as she looked at the jerseys. They only had a last name and number on them... really helpful Allison.

"He is number 37. Danny, number 6, is our goalie and Jackson's best friend even though he is totally gay. He is such a nice guy and really good at technical stuff." Allison's face was bright with a smile as she rattled on about he new companions. "Stiles is number 24. Isaac is 14. Boyd is 2. Everyone but Stiles is on first line, but sometimes when someone is missing Stiles gets put in the game to play."

"Oh, that's nice." Rachel said as she tried to remember all this information that was being given to her.

"Allison!" A voice called from down the bleachers. Rachel turned her head and spotted two girls waving at her as they climbed up. One was a strawberry blonde dressed in a cute dress with stupid high heels, and the other was a blonde girl that looked like she just stepped off the cover of a biker's magazine.

"Aunt Rachel this is Lydia and Erica. Lydia is Jackson's girlfriend, and Erica is dating Boyd." Allison gestured to the two new arrivals as they took their seats beside her niece.

"Dude, how old is your Aunt? She doesn't look old enough to _be_ an aunt." Erica said as she gave Rachel a once over look.

"I'm 23." Rachel said defensively. 

"Shh! The game is starting. Lets see who gets ball first." Lydia hissed as she zoned into the game.

"So... is this kinda like soccer?" Rachel regretted asking because three heads whipped around to stare at her disbelievingly. "Never mind. I'll figure it out." She said, trying to pacify the three teens she'd just upset unknowingly.

A weight settled in on her right side and Rachel almost jumped out of her skin when she saw it was Derek Hale. 

"Are you following me?" Rachel asked in a low voice so that Allison wouldn't hear her. Derek gave the huntress a look of confusion.

"No. My sister goes to this school. Mom always makes me attend the games with her because she doesn't have a car." He explained. Rachel leaned back feeling like a moron. Of course Derek wasn't following her. Why would he? That was so stupid of her to think.

They watched the game as it went on and Rachel was starting to understand the game more and more.

"Okay." She said, leaning over in Derek's space so she wouldn't have to talk loudly. "So the point of the game is to get the ball and throw it in the net?" 

"Yes." He said simply.

"And it doesn't matter that the guys are basically beating each other with a stick?" 

"Nope." He said without looking away from the game. "Just as long as they don't aim for the face, they can hit however they want."

"Wow, that is really violent." Rachel mumbled as she leaned out of Derek's space. She almost thought she saw him follow her, but when she looked back he was sitting where he'd always been with his eyes glued to the field. 

"Yeah, I like basketball more. It was more my sport when I was in high school, but this is okay to watch." Derek conceded. "Oh. That looked like it hurt." He said as he watched McCall take down the other team's biggest player. 

Allison, Lydia, and Erica whooped and yelled from their seats like crazy as Isaac scored the Cyclones another point. Boyd hit his helmet against Scott's and they ran together to the starting line. 

The game was nice to watch, but Rachel was feeling restless just sitting in the stands. All the excitement going on around her was reminding her of times when she was in high school. And those were times she'd really rather not remember. She stood up and moved to walk down the stands.

"Rachel where are you going? The game is only in the second quarter." Allison said as she watched her Aunt's retreating form.

"I'm fine. I just wanna stretch my legs a bit. I'll be back in a few minutes." She assured her niece as she continued to walk down the stands. 

As soon as her feet hit grass she walked around the back of the bleacher, inhaled deeply, and trekked into the wooded area. There were small dirt paths that twisted around the field, and from the woods she could still hear the roar of the crowd and the buzzer of the score board. There was no doubt in her mind that the Cyclones were still winning. They'd been eating the other team alive throughout the first quarter.

"What's wrong?" A voice asked from behind her. Rachel wasn't expecting someone to be there. She hadn't heard any footsteps following her. So naturally she jumped almost out of her skin. 

"What the hell are you doing, Derek?" Rachel asked him as she placed a hand over her chest in attempt to stop her racing heart.

"Following you. I thought that was pretty obvious. Now, what is wrong?" He asked again, moving into her space. "You lied to your niece when you said you were okay."

"Oh my god. You were listening to my heart rate?" That was kind of creepy to think about. And it made Rachel feel like a little bit of her privacy had been taken from her.

"Well, it was kind of hard not to when it was pounding so loud." Now Derek sounded exasperated. As if what he was telling her was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Nothing is wrong." Rachel assured him. Or at least tried to. Derek just have her a frowning look. "I'm serious."

"No, you're lying."

"Am not."

"Are to." 

Rachel glared at the werewolf and heaved out a long sigh. God, he was insufferable, and it didn't look like she was going to shake his interest until she told him something that wasn't a blatant lie.

"I got upset by watching the game, okay." She finally breathed out as she sagged against a tree. Derek's face slowly slid from mad to confused.

"Why? We were winning. Or do you not like the violence?" 

"No. I don't mind violent games. I just..." She trailed off as she looked at him. Rachel didn't have to explain herself to anyone. She didn't need to prove anything, but she really wanted to talk to someone about how she'd been feeling lately. Chris was not an option. Rachel didn't want to drag him down with memories of the past, and Victoria would only judge her and then tell Chris. Allison was too young and didn't know anything. Dragging her into all of this family bullshit would only end up hurting and confusing her.

"You just...?" Derek prompted slowly.

"I just miss how things used to be before my mom died."

Derek and her stood in the dark woods in complete silence. The only time it was broken was when the buzzer sounded in the background, followed by the roaring of the crowd, but that seemed so far away.

"I'm sorry." He said finally. The werewolf seemed the struggle with what he wanted to say next. "What happened?"

"Rouge Alpha." Rachel said quietly. "She was out shopping one night and we'd been tracking him for weeks. Well, dad had been tracking him. Me, Kate, and Chris were too young to be hunting. Chris was still in training then. She was on her way back home and the Alpha caught her. She was a mile from the hotel. We found her and her car in the side of a ditch. Dad... he lost it. He was so obsessed with finding the Alpha he forgot about us, his own kids. He pushed Chris so hard after that. And when Kate came of age he'd abandoned the Code." 

Tears started to well in her eyes as she took a shaky breath.

"When Chris finally broke away from dad he took me with him. He tried to take Kate too, but she was so convinced that dad was right... that all supernatural was evil and needed to be destroyed. Chris raised me, he found a wife, had a kid, and he follows the Code. He taught me everything he knew. We never talked about Kate or Dad... until the attempt on your family."

She wrapped her arms around her before looking to meet Derek's eye. He was tense against the tree he was leaning on.

"We both knew what they were like, but we thought if we didn't talk about them, then maybe, just maybe, we wouldn't have to think about them. That maybe they would just disappear. One day Chris got a call about Kate planning something bad, something big, in Beacon Hills. So he rushed here and warned your mother. Luckily he was in time. Then she vanished again and no one heard anything."

"And now she is back again." Derek said as his eyes turned blue.

"Yeah. She is, and I know she has to be stopped. I know it. I tell myself all the time, and I tell Chris, but it still hurts and I feel terrible that it hurts because it shouldn't! It shouldn't hurt! She isn't my sister anymore... she was going to kill me last night and I was going to kill her, but every time I think about her I think of the time she taught me how to ride a bike. Or the time she cooked dinner with me and mom while Chris and Dad played baseball in the backyard. Or the time she stole my headphones because she ripped hers and was too chicken to ask Dad to buy another pair for her because that was her second pair that month!." 

Rachel sucked in a wet breath as tears fell down her face.

"It shouldn't hurt, but it does, and I can't stop it no matter how much I try! And watching that game I thought about those times. Those times that aren't coming back."

Derek slowly moved towards her until he was standing right in front of her. Rachel could feel the heat from his werewolf metabolism radiating from his body. She didn't protest when he pulled her into his arms and held on to her like it was the most important task he'd been given.

"Why are you holding me?" Rachel asked him as she buried her face into his shirt. She was leaving wet streaks, but he didn't seem to mind as he tightened his hold.

"My mother taught me, as a wolf, that physical contact helps with pain. It is a method that is taught to people so we can help our pack mates heal when they have been though something traumatizing." Derek told her slowly. Rachel's breathing was starting to even out as she listened to his heart beat from under his skin. 

"I'm not your pack." She rationalized out loud.

"No, you're not, but you are trying to help my pack, and that means something." 

"I'm just trying to do the right thing." 

"Aren't we all?" Derek asked breathed out with a bit of humor lacing his voice. "You can't change the past, and you can't change people once they've decided what road they want to take. All you can do is try and do the right thing, and sometimes the right thing is the thing that hurts us the most."

"Wow, that sounds really wise." The huntress said as she wiped her face. She could tell that her eyes were red from her tears.

"My mother told me that after I took a life." Derek looked down as her with his blue eyes shining bright. Rachel had silently wondering what happened for his eyes to turn that color. It was not a secret that he would have had to have killed someone, but with the way he acted, Derek didn't seem like the killer type. 

"When I was younger, before Kate happened, there was this girl named Paige. She was amazing." Derek's face grew distant, and almost fond, as he recalled this girl. "I thought I was in love. I felt that she was the one for me, so I asked an Alpha to turn her so that she could be with me. However her body rejected the bite, and she was slowly dying in my arms. I couldn't watch her suffer. It was killing me to watch her die that slowly." His eyes grew sad and his face contorted into pain.

"So you killed her. A mercy killing." Rachel pieced together. 

"I snapped her spine so she wouldn't feel the pain." He admitted.

"I'm so sorry. I can't imagine what that feels like."

"My sisters comforted me through the grieving process. Peter helped me give her a proper burial, and my mom howled with me during the nights where the pain just got too much." Derek blinked and his eyes were back to their normal hazel-green color.

"Your eyes are beautiful." Rachel said without thinking.

"Which ones?"

"Both."

"Funny. My mother says the same thing."

Rachel let out a small laugh. Never would she have thought anyone would compare her to the almighty Talia Hale. As she regained composer she slowly slid herself from Derek's loosening hold. She felt lighter than she had in a long time, and from the look Derek was giving her, he was feeling the same.

"We should get back to the game. Allison and her friends are probably making up all kinds of crazy stories."

"Yeah, we should." Derek said lamely. 

Together they picked their way through the trees and back to the stands. The crowd was absolutely going nuts over the game score. The Cyclones were 8-0 with 3 minutes left on the clock of the fourth quarter. It seemed that Rachel was gone for more than 'a few minutes'. Allison didn't even blink at her as she took her position next to her. The young Argent was screaming along with the crowd. Boyd had the ball, which he passed to Isaac, which was passed to McCall who then threw it to Jackson, who was in scoring range.

"Go Jackson!" Lydia yelled over the crowd.

Jackson threw the ball and made the last point of the game. The referees went ahead and called the game with 1 minute and 21 seconds on the clock. People poured from the stands on to the field to envelope their team.

"Well this was a great game." Rachel told Derek with a humorous grin.

"It always is." He said giving her a knowing smile.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Rachel asked as Allison dragged her along through the parking lot. 

"Scott and the others are going to wash up and then head to iHop to eat a victory dinner." Allison told her as she pulled Rachel into her car.

"Who all are we talking about?" 

"Scott, Isaac, Jackson, Lydia, Body, Erica, Cora, and Derek." Allison said offhandedly as she buckled herself in. "I already called dad and told him I was going to eat with them, but he will only let me go if you come with me since he doesn't want me out this late normally. Please, please, please come with me Aunt Rachel." Allison pleaded. Her brown eyes looked so sad that Rachel groaned out loud. 

The girl knew she won and let out a soft victory whoop before starting the car and driving off.

"So what is going on between you and Cora's big brother?" 

Rachel nearly choked on her spit from the suddenness of the question. 

"What?" 

"You and Derek. I saw you walk off, and then Derek left a little later, and then you both show up at the same time. I know you aren't much older than me Rachel... did you two like... kiss or something?" Allison prodded innocently. 

"No! There is nothing going on between me and Derek. I went for a walk and he went to make sure I wouldn't get lost." Rachel lied. It was a total lie. And now Rachel was thinking about kissing Derek.

God damn it, Allison.

"Oh." Her niece said softly. "Well... that was nice of him." Her voice trailed off.

"What? I know you want to say something else." Rachel prodded.

"I just think you and him _look_ good together. I mean he is good looking, you're good looking, he is single, you're single..." Allison pointed out slowly.

"You made a bet didn't you?" Rachel asked suddenly.

Allison ducked her head sheepishly.

"How much?"

"I bet Lydia 25 that you and him would end up together by winter break." She admitted.

"Oh. My. God. **Allison**!" Rachel yelled as she turned to look at her niece. "What the hell? Why are you making bets on my love life?" 

"Because that is what teenagers do!" She defended herself quickly. "What did you do when you were a teen?"

"I got myself a boyfriend and worried about my own love life rather than making bets about someone else's!" The huntress retorted. Allison quickly started fiddling with her hair. Never a good sign. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No." Allison said too quickly.

"Who is it?"

"Who is who?"

"The boy. Who is it?" Rachel questioned sternly.

Allison refused to meet her eye.

"Allison I'm not going to tell your father, but I think, as the perfectly sane one of the family when it comes to trusting your good moral values, I should know. At least if I know you can tell me about him when he messes up and makes you mad." 

The girl finally looked at her with calculating brown eyes. 

"You promise not to tell my dad?"

"What, do you want me to pinky swear?" Allison smiled at her and shook her head.

"I'm dating Scott." She admitted softly. 

"As long as he treats you like you are the best thing on this Earth I will approve of your relationship. As soon as he stops treating you like you are his Aphrodite I will kick his ass and bury him in the back yard to fertilize my tree." Rachel told her niece. Allison barked out a laugh as she pulled into the iHop parking lot. 

"I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that before." 

"That is because they aren't me. And I'm _awesome_." Rachel told her as she unbuckled her seat belt.

As she stepped out of the car she watched a sleek black Camaro whip in to a parking space across the way. Derek and Cora stepped out of the car looking like total bad asses. Not that Rachel was going to tell them that. 

"Hey Cora." Allison greeted once the pair got close enough.

"Hey. We need to go ahead and tell them how many people we have coming so we can reserve booths." Cora said as she pulled Allison with her inside the store leaving Rachel and Derek alone in the parking lot.

"You have this look on your face. What happened?" Derek asked as Rachel leaned against Allison's car.

"Allison thinks that you and I made out in the woods when I walked off." 

"What?"

"And she made a bet with Lydia that me and you would hook up before the end of winter break?"

"They did?"

"And my niece is also dating Scott McCall."

"Well... shit." Derek said as he leaned against the car beside her. He had a calculating look on his face.

"Do you know something I don't?" Rachel asked him as she assessed his face.

"Yes."

"Care to share?"

"I don't know if I should." Derek admitted. "I want to, but it really isn't my place to tell, but at the same time I trust you and you have the right to know because she is your niece."

"So then tell me." Rachel turned to where she was leaning on the car with her hip. Derek turned and did the same so that they were face to face.

"Scott isn't normal. None of his group is. Well, except for Stiles and Danny." Derek was looking at the ground as he spoke. "Scott was bitten awhile back when a rouge Alpha tore through our territory. This Alpha bit a lot of teenagers in attempt to build a pack to rival my mother's. We killed him, and in doing so Scott became a True Alpha since there was no Alpha to inherit the pack. Boyd, Erica, Isaac, and Jackson are all wolves. Lydia is a banshee. Stiles is.... Stiles, and Danny just knows about supernatural creatures."

"So my niece is dating an Alpha werewolf?" Rachel asked.

"Yes." 

"Okay... so Chris must never find this out because if he does he will flip his entire house over on it's side."

"He'd react that bad?"

"When it comes to his daughter? Hell yeah he would." Rachel said with a small chuckle. "That man does not know the meaning of 'giving a teenage daughter some space'. His daddy instinct is like 1000 times stronger than it should be."

"And you don't mind her dating a werewolf?" Derek inquired.

"I don't care if she dated a mermaid, so long as she was being treated right."

Derek just grinned to himself and shook his head in disbelief.

"What? What's so funny?" 

"A mermaid? Really? You couldn't think of something better?"

"Shut up. We better get inside before they start making bets on our wedding." Rachel prodded him in the chest as she turned to walk into the building. Derek's laughter followed her all the way in the door.

* * *

Eating at iHop was rather uneventful. The teens had taken two booth tables for themselves. The first table held Erica, Boyd, Lydia and Jackson, while the second table had Scott, Allison, Cora and Isaac. Rachel and Derek were placed at a table two rows over by themselves.

"They planned this. I swear they planned this." Rachel muttered into her hot chocolate darkly.  Derek nodded his head in agreement as he sipped his own hot chocolate. "I'm going to skin them for this."

"Isn't that against your Code?" Derek asked, trying to be funny.

"Not if it doesn't kill them." Rachel spat back. The wolf only laughed at her. 

"Is it so bad that they pushed you over here with me? And here I thought we were becoming friends." Derek said with fake hurt.

"That is the point!" Rachel hissed lowly. "They are making bets on us. I don't like that! My love life, or _lack thereof_ , is not something to be used for entertainment. I mean it is not like it is easy for me to date since I do... what I do." She said, referring to hunting. "I can't just tell my boyfriend that werewolves exist and that I follow a Code that dates back centuries."

"Look who you're talking to, Rachel. Beta werewolf. Full moon problems. Fangs and claws." Derek listed off with a smile.

"Then you should know where I'm coming from." 

"The fact that me and you have issues in finding people to date is probably why they are trying to push us together." Derek reasoned to her. 

Rachel leaned back in her chair as she processed that statement. The waitress brought them their food and they began to eat in silence. However Derek kept his eyes on Rachel, waiting for her to say what she was cooking up in her head.

"We should date then." Rachel finally said as she finished her last pancake. Derek choked on his food and had to down half his beverage just to clear his throat.

"What?" He rasped.

"If they are going to make bets on us dating then we should fake date." Rachel explained. "They wouldn't even be remotely prepared for it. It is perfect."

"Fake date." Derek repeated.

"Yes." 

"How does that even work?" He asked as he pushed his plate away.

"Simple. We act like we're dating, but really we aren't. So we can hang out, go places, hold hands, the whole couple thing, but it wouldn't mean anything romantic. Just friends fake dating." Rachel explained.

Derek looked conflicted between laughing and taking the whole ordeal seriously. The huntress was about to just say forget it when Derek nodded his head.

"Okay. We'll fake date. When do we start?" He asked with a smile tugging at the end of his lips.

"Now." Rachel gave Derek a wide smile. This had to be the most childish thing she'd done in a long time, and honestly, it felt great. From the way that Derek was smiling back at her, he felt the same way.

"Aunt Rachel." Allison said as she bounded over. "We are getting ready to leave. Are you done eating?" She asked looking at their plates.

"Yeah, we're done, but I think you should go ahead without me. Derek offered to drive me home." Rachel told her niece with a smile. Allison gave her a funny look. "I thought about what you said Allison, and I talked to Derek about it. So me and him are going to give dating a shot."

Allison's mouth fell open and she looked back at her friends who were getting closer. They must have overheard Rachel because they also had disbelief written on their faces. Especially Cora, who never thought her brother was going to date anyone.

"We do look good together." Derek added with a shrug.

"O-oh. Okay. Um... okay." Allison said dumbly as she fiddled with her keys. "Well, then I'll be heading home. Good night." She mumbled as she walked out of the diner. Her friends slowly filed out one by one behind her.

"That was perfect." Derek said as his face split into a wide grin. "I've never seen my sister that stricken in my life."

"It was good, wasn't it?" Rachel asked as she gave Derek a high five. 

Derek paid for the dinner tab. When Rachel tried to protest he just shot her down saying ' _We're fake dating, remember_ '. 

"Where did your sister go? Didn't she ride here with you?" Rachel asked as she slid into the passenger side of Derek's black Camaro.

"Isaac probably drove her home." Derek said as he started the car and rolled out of the parking lot.

They talked about random things on the drive to Rachel's home. The weather, the trails on the preserve that were the best for running, the school, favorite sports, music types, and Derek's tattoo were a few topics among the many. But the conversation died whenever they pulled into the Argent's driveway.

Rachel's Honda had all four tires slashed, her windows were broken, and it looked like the insides were torn to sheds. On the front door there was a note.

"What the fuck." Rachel cursed as she unbuckled herself. As soon as she was free from the car she sprinted to her door and ripped off the note.

> **Dear Baby Sister,**
> 
> **I hope you enjoyed your little date with Derek. I spotted you two chatting it up and having a good time at iHop. Need I remind you that I had him first? That I taught him everything he knows about how to please a woman? You're only wasting your time. You deserve better than that dog. To prove my point I went ahead and did some remodeling of the house. I hope you like it as much as I do.**
> 
> **Love, Kate.**

Rachel swallowed thickly as she opened her door. The house was trashed. There was smashed furniture everywhere. Glass littered the floor and the walls were smashed in. On the walls that weren't smashed there was blood and dirt smeared. Thankfully Rachel had taken her guns over to Chris's house, so she didn't have to worry about Kate having more ammunition to fire at them.

Derek stepped into the house behind her and winced.

"Is the blood human?" Rachel asked him. Her voice shaking with a mix of anger, betrayal, and fear.

"No. Animal. Smells like a mix of deer and rabbit." He told her as he picked his way through glass and debris.

"She trashed the entire place." 

"Yeah. Looks like it." Derek said as he kicked a piece of chair out of the way. "What did the note say?"

"She knows about me and you getting closer. It said that I deserved better than you, but I know what she really meant." Rachel said, fury lacing her words.

"I'm not following." Derek said as he took the note and read it.

"Kate never liked sharing. She never shared food, or toys, or attention. Even though she dated you only to use you, she still considers you to be her's, and she doesn't like that I'm hanging around you. She is jealous." 

Derek stared at the piece of paper for a long time. Then he surveyed the room around him, before finally looking at the huntress.

"I think this could work." He said suddenly. Rachel cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Think about. If just seeing us together gets her this upset to where she comes out of hiding, imagine if she continued seeing us together. Her anger seems to blind her, make her reckless and send her into action. We can use that against her." Derek reasoned.

"What are you suggesting, then?"

"Salvage what you can of your things and come back with me to my house."

Rachel wanted to protest, because even though she wanted to bring Kate out into the open, living with Derek was also going to upset Chris and Victoria on a nuclear scale.

"What about Talia?" Rachel asked as she started up the stairs. Derek was right behind her.

"What about her?"

"Won't she ask questions about why I'm suddenly moving in? And Cora would have a field day since now we official started dating." Rachel mumbled as she opened her bedroom. "Well, fake dating." She corrected as she picked her way across shattered glass and broken bed pieces.

She pulled out a duffel bag from the closet that seemed to make it out of the attack in one piece. Then she walked around and picked up her clothes. Some were torn and had to be trashed, but the ones that were still intact she threw into the bag without bothering to fold. She'd do that later at Derek's house. Right now she just wanted to get her shit and get the hell out.

"I'll talk to my mother and handle things. You obviously can't stay here, not when Kate just pained a huge target on your back." Derek started to pick up huge chunks of the smashed bed frame and lean them against the wall. It cleared enough space for Rachel to squeeze into the bathroom to grab her toothbrush and other toiletry items. On her way out she snatched her first aid kit and stuffed it all in her bag.

"Ready?" He asked as they headed down the stairs. 

"Yeah."

* * *

When they arrived at the Hale house Derek picked up Rachel's bag for her and led her inside quietly. They made it to the kitchen without being detected, but as soon as they sat down to grab a drink the lights flipped on and blinded them. Talia and Cora were standing in the doorway looking concerned and slightly annoyed.

"Derek, I know you're 25 and that you can stay out as long as you want, but you do still have to ask my permission before you bring a girl home. Even if I already know the girl." Talia was dressed in a sleeping robe and it flared behind her as she walked forward. As she sat down at the table her eyes widened. "Why do the both of you smell like blood?"

"Rachel's house was attacked by Kate because of me. I offered that she could stay here with us till she could find other arrangements." Derek explained as he placed a cup of ice water in front of the huntress. Rachel took it and almost downed half of it without batting an eyelash. Talia watched them both with a calculating look.

"Why do you both smell so strong of each other?"

Rachel swallowed an ice cube and started coughing. Derek looked like a deer in headlights. Cora just smiled widely and bounded over to drape herself across the back of her mother's chair.

"Derek and Rachel are going to try dating, Mom." Cora explained. She looked like a cat that had just gotten served cream. Talia raised an eyebrow as she looked between her son and his 'girlfriend'.

"Well... I don't know how this is going to go, but it is late and I can't just kick her out on the street with a killer on the loose." The Alpha sighed as she stood up. "Rachel can stay, but she stays with you, Derek. Peter is remodeling his room and that means that he is staying the the guestroom, and Deaton is working overnight so he has claims to the other one. I'm not going to force him out since you two are apparently a thing now." She said pointing between the two of them. 

"Okay mom." He said as he drank his own water. Talia stood up and motioned for Cora to go finish getting ready for bed. The young Hale pouted, but did as she was told and vanished up the stairs. The Alpha was leaving herself when she turned and smiled sweetly.

"I don't know why you two are pretending with each other. Honestly I think you two are _lovely_ together, and maybe this whole affair will lead to more, but if it does lead to more just remember..." Talia pinned her eyes on her son. "You'd better use protection, because I'm not old enough to be a grandmother and Chris would skin you."

Rachel's face got hot and she quickly hid herself behind her glass of water. Derek looked at his mom like she'd grown a hydra's head, and Talia cackled to herself as she ascended the stairs.

"How did she? Why would? I don't... you." Derek turned to look at the huntress, who was still sipping her water. 

"She is your mom. Don't look at me."

 


	4. A Storm is Brewing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fake dating between Derek and Rachel gets complicated when feelings start to crop up after Derek is injured. Mother Talia shows everyone that she is not a push over Alpha, and Chris learns about Rachel's attachment to Derek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beware the fluffy moments between Rachel and Derek and badassery that is Talia Hale!

It was bright in the room when Rachel opened her eyes blearily. Warmth seemed to encase her from all around and she groaned as she buried her face further into her pillow, not yet ready to wake up and face the day. Her and Chris still had to find Kate's whereabouts and that was always a taxing jobs that just ended up leaving the both of them frustrated and tense. Why couldn't she stay in bed all day and do nothing? It was so warm and the arm around her was nice.

The arm around her was nice? _The arm around her?_

Rachel's eyes shot open and she bolted upright with a sharp inhale. Moving quickly she tore herself from the person holding her and fell out of the bed without grace. There was a loud thump noise as her back hit cold wooden flooring. Breathing quickly she scuttled back on all fours to press herself against the nearest wall. She noted that she was wearing a white tank top with a pair of boy shorts, her normal sleeping attire.

"What the hell, Rachel?" Derek asked as he sat up. His voice was deep and laced with sleep. Rachel took a moment to register him, his hazel-green eyes were staring at her with a mix of worry and confusion, his black hair was sticking at odd angles, and he was bare chested with the covers pooling around his waist. 

The night slowly flooded back into her memory. Derek had invited her to stay at his house, Talia had approved but told them them that she had to stay with him, and after a long debate about her wanting to sleep on the floor (and him refusing that idea insisting he sleep on the floor) they came to the conclusion that they were both grown adults and could share the bed.

"Sorry." Rachel mumbled as she picked herself off the floor. "You were cuddling me and I woke up and just... reacted." She told him lamely as she padded back to the bed to sit on the edge.

"Do you always react that way when a guy holds you?" Derek asked as he leaned against the headboard and stretched. He seemed unaware that his lack of clothes were distracting, that or he didn't care.

"No. I just wasn't expecting it. Yesterday was a lot to handle." Rachel told him as she rubbed her wrists nervously. "What time is it?"

"It is 6:18." Derek told her after checking his alarm clock. "My mom should be making breakfast right about now." He threw the covers off himself and finally stood. "I'm gonna change into some clothes. You can use the shower if you want."

Rachel mumbled a thank you and grabbed some things from her duffel bag before slipping into the bathroom. Even though Derek didn't have the master bathroom it was still better than her small cramped one. She slid the glass door of the shower open and started the water so that it would heat up. Placing her shampoo and other things on the rack she grabbed a towel from the closet and then shed her clothes. The water was nice and warm when she stepped in and the muscles in her back slowly eased as she cleaned herself.

She took longer in the shower than really necessarily since she just enjoyed the heat that the water provided. Derek was probably wondering if she'd drown herself in the shower by now, so she cut off the water and toweled herself off. She pulled on a pair of nice faded jeans and a simple blue shirt. Her hair was still wet, and she hadn't thought to bring a hairdryer, so she threw her hair up in a messy wet bun to keep it off her neck while it dried. 

The noises of dishes and chatter filtered up the stairs as she leaned on the railing. For some reason her heart seemed to stop beating as she remembered times of when she was in school. A hand on her shoulder startled her and she relaxed when she noted it was just Peter. The older wolf didn't say anything, but his eyes were obviously questioning and calculating.

"You should join me downstairs. I'm sure Derek would love for his partner to join him for breakfast with the family." Peter didn't remove his hand as he lead Rachel downstairs. The wolf didn't scare her, but having breakfast with Derek's family... that was a little intimidating. Peter must have felt this because he removed his hand before they entered the kitchen. "Don't worry about it. If Talia likes you, and she does, then everyone else will too. My sister is more insightful then she lets on most of the time." With that he turned and entered the kitchen.

Taking a deep breath Rachel calmed herself and entered behind him. Derek was sitting at the table with Cora helping her with some last minute math homework, Laura was sitting at the bar eating some fruit and reading the newspaper, Peter was making himself some coffee, and Talia was busy flipping omelets in two different pans. The entire family seemed so at peace with one another that she felt like an intruder.

"Good morning Rachel." Cora said when she looked up. Her smile was more tooth and smug than anything else. 

"Pay attention or I'm not gonna help you." Derek snapped, which made Cora look down again and focus.

"No need to be a sour wolf." Rachel teased as she eased into the seat across from Derek. He looked at her with annoyance and Laura nearly spit out her fruit when she starting laughing.

"Oh my god! Yes! That is perfect. Now I have your own girlfriend calling you sour wolf." Laura cackled as she kept reading.

"Shut up!" Derek yelled at he threw a pencil at her.

"Don't throw things in my kitchen." Talia scolded them without turning around. Laura quieted down and Derek went back to lecturing Cora about math. 

 Talia took the omelettes off the pans and onto plates with 3 pieces of bacon each. One plate was placed in front of Peter and the other was placed in front of her.

"I didn't know if you liked cheese and chives on yours but I put them anyway, if you don't like it just give it to Derek and he'll eat it." Talia told her motherly as she patted Rachel on the shoulder. "Bread is in the cabinet above the toaster and you're free to drinks in the fridge or coffee."

"Thank you so much." Rachel said to Talia as she looked at the Alpha in awe. 

Rachel fixed herself a strong cup of coffee and ate her breakfast slowly as she watched Derek teach his younger sister. It made her happy to know that he was willing to help his sibling, even if she was a pain in the ass sometimes. Cora would look up from time to time to see Rachel staring at Derek, she would then look to her mother and share a knowing look. Peter even seemed pleased that the two of them were so close.

"Alright. Time for school." Derek said as he helped Cora pack her books up. He turned to Rachel. "I have to take her to school. If you want you can stay here or you can come with me to drop her off."

"I think she'll spend the day with me, Derek." Talia spoke up before Rachel could. "We need to file a report with the police about your home and get your car fixed up." Talia was wiping her hands on a dish towel as she spoke. "And speaking of such things. Cora, you are not to mention Kate Argent to anyone. Last night's conversation stays within these walls. Is that clear?" 

"Yes ma'am." Cora said as she slid her backpack on and walked for the door. Derek beckoned for Rachel to follow him to the car.

"Cora get in the car." Derek told her as he handed her the keys.

"Want a moment alone with your girlfriend?" She teased.

"Now!" Derek yelled, his eyes flashing. Cora pouted but tromped her way to the car regardless. The male wolf let out a long sigh. "Sometimes I want to strangle her." 

"She is just being a little sister. I was that way with Chris." Rachel soothed him as she smiled. 

"Are you gonna be okay spending the day with my mom? I mean if you are uncomfortable I can talk to her." Derek told her lowly as he leaned on the door.

"Nah, I'll be fine. I need to file a report and get my car towed, so maybe she can help me with that." The huntress leaned on the door as well.

For a moment they both stood there just looking at each other, waiting for either to say something, but finally Derek leaned in and kissed her on the cheek before pushing off and heading to the car.

"What was that for?" Rachel asked with heated cheeks.

"I can't kiss my girlfriend?" He asked as he opened the door. He nodded at Cora, who looked like she swallowed a lemon, and tossed Rachel a wink before sliding into the Camaro and pulling out of the driveway. 

The huntress smiled and watched the car until it vanished from her sight. Talia appeared beside her and gave her a knowing smile. 

"I remember when it was me driving him to school." The Alpha spoke softly as she crossed her arms across her chest. "Wolves have such good memory, it is so vivid that even the smallest details cannot escape us. Derek remembers just as well as I do. I know he remembers more than he cares to..." She trailed off for a moment. Then she looked at Rachel seriously. "I've seen him hurt once by a huntress, and I will not stand to see it done once more. I see potential with you and him even if you two don't."

Talia said nothing more as she turned and entered the house. Peter was standing in the walk way looking at her with a grin.

"She must really like you if you've got her _that_ twisted up." Peter told her softly, before walking into the living room to finish reading his book.

Rachel stood there, confused and more than a little worried.

* * *

The huntress and the Alpha spent the day together. Talia took her to the police station to fill out a statement about the break in and her car being vandalized. The sheriff himself took her paperwork and looked over it with interested eyes. He didn't know what to make of the blood on the walls, but he promised he would have his officers sweep the place and find what they could. Rachel was sure that Kate had cleaned her prints off of everything before leaving, but she could hope that her sister was sloppy. As they were leaving the station Stiles entered and gave Rachel a curious look.

"Aren't you Allison's aunt?" He asked as he slurped from his coke can. 

"Aren't you suppose to be in school?" She fired back with a tight smile.

"Free period." Stiles informed her offhandedly. Before he could ask her another question Talia pulled her to the car and they made their way to the auto shop. 

Talia called a towing company that she knew of and Rachel had them tow her Honda so that it could be repaired. The price tag was something Rachel wasn't looking forward to seeing, but she was waiting to cross that bridge whenever it appeared. The repair shop told her that they would have to replace the airbags, upholstery, radio, and all four tires. Other than that nothing else was damaged.

"When do you think you can have it done?" Rachel asked it as she leaned against the counter. The boy behind it was obviously trying to hit on her, and she was just stopping herself from slamming his head on the counter. One, he was a teenager, and two, she wasn't here for a pick up!

"Well, I don't know." He said flipping through a list of other jobs. "I think I can get it done by the week after next."

"Two weeks!" Rachel hissed as she laid her head in her arms. It didn't take that long to replace those things! It wasn't like they were rebuilding an engine!

"I'm sorry, but we have other jobs." The boy said as he flipped the book shut.

"How long does it take to order the parts?" Talia asked as she stepped forward. Since entering she hadn't spoken, so it was a little bit of a shocker when she suddenly quipped in.

"Maybe three days." The mechanic cut in as he appeared from the back. "Bradley, go help Matt take apart that brake system." The boy behind the counter muttered something under his breath as he vanished to the back. "Sorry about him." The older man said as he flipped through some papers.

"Hello Brom." Talia said, her shoulders becoming lax. "Can you order the parts for me? I'll have Derek and Peter work on the car." Talia moved to where she blocked Rachel from the counter.

"Of course Ms. Hale." Brom said as he began typing into his computer. He rang up the total, which made Rachel want to be sick. Her hand went to her wallet, but Talia placed her card on the counter.

"I can pay for it." Rachel said, trying to swipe the card off the counter, but the Alpha intercepted her hand and gave her a stern look that silenced her effectively.

"Please, this is nothing." Talia said as Brom swiped the card. The older mechanic looked like he was just barely suppressing a laugh.

"Thank you." The huntress said feebly as she pushed her wallet back into her back pocket.

"Alright. I'll give you a call when we get the parts in. Do you want us to send the car to your address?" Brom asked as he stapled the papers together and filed it away.

"Yes." Talia spoke as she put away her wallet.

When Rachel and Talia left the auto shop they stopped by a restaurant and met up with Peter and Laura to eat lunch. The huntress was thrilled by how well she seemed to mesh with the werewolf family. Peter's sense of humor was a little dark, but she still laughed at some of his jokes and stories. Talia told her brother about the new car job she was about to give him.

"Well that is good. I just finished my book and I was worried I'd get bored around the house." He said simply as he ate another bite of his steak. 

"Derek is gonna enjoy that." Laura said as she stabbed a piece of her cesar salad.

"He likes working on cars?" Rachel inquired as she used her spoon to stir her soup. It was still too hot for her to eat.

"Oh yeah." Laura said before stuffing a fork full of lettuce into her mouth.

"He has always liked taking things apart and putting them back together." Talia said as she dabbed her mouth with her napkin. She'd just finished her baked potato. "He didn't mention that?"

"No, we haven't really talked about it. We mainly talk about hobbies and interests instead of job interests. For obvious reasons." Rachel took a sip of her soup and hummed to herself. "This is delicious."

Talia nodded her head and smiled to Peter and Laura, which went unnoticed by Rachel.

"Where is Derek? Shouldn't he be here spending time with his new girlfriend?" Laura asked after she finished her meal. Rachel could feel the tips of her ears get hot.

"He is talking to Scott and his pack. I told him it would be best if Scott was filled in about what is going on. I don't want Kate catching them off guard." Talia said, her tone growing more serious.

"That is wise." Rachel said as she finished off the last of her soup. "The last thing I want is for those teens to get hurt over this war she has started. If anything happened to them... Allison would be crushed."

"I think it would be best if we called a pack meeting with them, mom." Laura said thoughtfully. Talia mauled this thought over before pulling out her phone and texting her son.

"We'll meet tonight."

* * *

The rest of the day passed with ease. Talia took Rachel around the town and showed her all the small shops and places that were tucked into corners. The Alpha pointed out the best places to eat, to shop, and to look for if you wanted clothes. When they finally got back to the house Derek was home with Cora in tow. They were arguing about something and from the looks on their faces they were about to start throwing things. Talia, with her mother senses, must have sensed her house being in danger because she stepped in and broke them apart. Derek stormed upstairs while Cora got an earful from her mother.

The huntress slowly made her way to his room and cracked open the door. Derek was sitting on the bed, hands clenched, and seething to himself with bright werewolf eyes.

"Bad time?" Rachel asked, trying to make light of the situation. Derek looked at her and slowly his claws receded, Rachel took this as an okay to enter. "You wanna talk about it?"

"Not really, it was stupid." Derek said and as the huntress got closer Derek took her around the middle and hugged her so that his face was planted in her midsection. She wanted to laugh at his behavior, but she knew it was a wolf thing. He was just seeking comfort. Petting his head she smiled down at him.

"What was stupid?" She prodded, wanting to know what had made him so upset.

"Cora just always thinks she knows everything!" He exploded, tightening his grip around her. "She thinks she knows what is best for me and she doesn't. I know I've messed up in the past and that I've had a horrible taste in people that I trust, and I know she is just trying to have my back... but I don't want to be treated like a child by a _child_." He hissed as he took a deep breath. 

"Hey." Rachel breathed out as she curled her fingers in the hair at the base of his neck. Derek tilted his head to look at her. "Don't be so hard on her. Your family is amazing. They really do love you, and it might seem like they are suffocating you, but I promise that this is better than them not caring." Derek smiled and pressed his face into the soft part of her stomach.

"They have turned you to the dark side." He said into her shirt.

"Did you make a Star Wars reference?" Her amusement was clear and Derek smiled against her.

"Oh, shit. Sorry." Laura said at the door before turning around and leaving. " **Mom, you made me interrupt a moment**!" They could hear her yell as she tromped down the stairs.

Derek groaned loudly and Rachel let out a howling laugh.

* * *

Night came much faster than anyone really thought was possible. Derek and Rachel got into the Camaro and drove to the warehouse that the packs were meeting in while the Hales insisted on running there. Rachel tried not to think about a bunch of wolfed out people running in the trees beside them.

"Are you okay?" Derek asked without looking away from the road. 

After their 'moment' had been broken up by Laura they had separated and put some distance between one another. This fake dating was getting awfully close to actual dating and the both of them were more than a little afraid of the feelings they were growing for one another.

"Yeah, I just don't feel great about this. I feel like something is going to happen. Something bad." She muttered as she looked out the window. "Kate is cunning, she is smart, and I hate to admit it, but she is more ruthless than any of us in the family other than my father. Killing these kids would be like blinking to her." Her hand tightened on her leg. "That is why me and Chris have to kill her first."

"Easy." Derek said, smoothing his hand over her's. "Tonight is just a meeting. Nothing is going to happen."

Rachel couldn't shake her feeling though, however she kept that to herself and gave Derek a tight smile.

The warehouse was huge on the inside. One one side stood Scott and his pack, Isaac and Boyd were right beside him while Erica, Lydia, Jackson, and Stiles stood behind them. Talia approached with Peter and Laura by her side. 

"You wanted to talk?" Scott asked, his eyes flashing. There was no threat behind it, just a symbol that he was the Alpha, and that he was speaking on his pack's behalf. Talia flashed hers and smiled kindly.

"Yes, we need to talk. An enemy from the past has reared her head and is back in town. She is dangerous and could possibly have motive to want your pack dead." Talia was sure when she spoke and motioned for them to take a seat at the large table in the middle of the room.

Once everyone was seated she proceeded to fill Scott and his pack in about the Argents and the fire that took place nine years ago. Rachel occasionally cut in to add details, or provide more background, but other than that she stayed silent and let the Hale Alpha do the talking. Derek was a solid weight beside her whenever the other pack looked at her with questioning gazes.

"So why should we trust _her_?" Erica asked accusingly. Scott gave her a sharp look, which made her head duck instinctively. The huntress knew that they all wanted to ask that question though.

"You should trust her because _without her_ you might already be dead." Talia said coldly. "Kate Argent is malicious and cold, once she has her gaze stuck on something it doesn't change without something major, and right now her gaze is stuck on Rachel. If Rachel is distracting her then it gives us time to make a battle plan and attempt to get out of this without any deaths other than her's." 

Everyone sat in a tense silence before finally Scott broke it. 

"So what is the plan?" The younger Alpha was leaned forward and ready to hear some ideas. 

"Well with Kate targeted on Rachel she will be more reckless. Hunting another hunter is not the same as hunting a werewolf. There are less risks in her eyes. So my idea is to keep Rachel close and let Kate come to us. When she does appear we will have strength in numbers. A surprise will catch her off guard and I'm hoping that will give us an edge over her." Talia explained as she folded her hands. 

"So we are playing the wait game right now?"

"Precisely."

There was a metal clang from the back entrance and everyone turned to look. They didn't see anything but the wolves started to growl around her.

"What is it?" Rachel asked Derek in a hushed voice.

"She's here." He said between sharp teeth.

Kate emerged with two men behind her, all of them armed with guns. Her sister was smiling at her like nothing was wrong. 

"Hello, Rachel. I see you made new friends." Kate walked forward with a stalking gate and the men behind her cocked their guns threateningly. 

"I see you have as well." Rachel snapped back as she pulled a gun from her waist. She flipped the safety off and raised it. "Why don't you introduce me?"

"Boys this is my sister. Sister this is Micheal and Jace." Kate giggled as if it were the funniest thing ever. "I'm not here for you Rachel. Step aside and let me do my job." 

"Your job? Wow I can't believe you think this is actually a job and not flat out murder. Shows just how far you've fallen." Rachel clicked on her phone behind her and dialed Chris. She'd need his help.

Talia and Scott managed to get their packs to their feet and in a battle line. This wasn't how they wanted to do this, a trap would have been better, but this wasn't a choice. 

"Boys." Kate said sharply. 

Micheal barreled at Rachel faster than she thought was possible and she was thrown into a steel beam. Jace raised his gun and fired for Talia, but the Alpha managed to evade the attack. Spinning around she hit the hunter across the chest. There was a sickening crack, no doubt his chest breaking beneath her strength, and he was flung like a rag-doll across the room. He landed with a hard smack against the concrete and didn't move. Baring her teeth and red eyes the Hale Alpha straightened herself.

Derek, all the while, moved and grabbed Micheal by the back on his shirt and threw him to Peter's feet. Peter then dragged him off behind some boxes and all that was heard was the tearing of clothes and flesh and bone.

Scott, Isaac, and Boyd charge Kate, but the huntress simply pulled out her taser and used it against them. The three boys fell to the floor and before Kate could fire a bullet into them Rachel raised her gun and fired. Her shot missed its mark, Kate's head, and it grazed the junction between her neck and shoulder. There was a hissing sound and Kate fled behind a pillar to stop from getting shot again. 

Derek hauled Rachel to her feet and pushed her behind a pillar. Both of them breathing heavily. His hands were rough and clawed, he probably wasn't even aware that he was hold her wrist too tightly, but she didn't want to say anything and break him out of focus. Talia and the others were also taking shelter, Peter was beside her covered in blood and looking terrifying with his bright blue eyes, Laura was seething on the other side with Scott, their red eyes seeming menacing. 

"Come out, little sister. Try your aim just one more time." Kate taunted from across the room. Rachel ground her teeth together in anger, but Derek held her still and shook his head. She knew she was biting the bait, but her anger was almost unbearable. What she wouldn't give for a set of her own claws right now...

"Too chicken?" Kate drawled.

"Funny coming from a coward like you. Can't even face me without your goons? The second you get grazed and you panic? Such an amateur." Rachel tossed back with a nasty smirk. She could hear Kate fire off a shot in her direction. "Hit a nerve?" She mocked.

"Shut your mouth you little slut!" Kate yelled whipping out around from her pillar. 

Rachel broke from Derek's grip and fired off three shots. All of them missed, but it pushed her sister further back and gave them more space. With all the commotion none of them noticed that Jace was slowly crawling toward his fallen gun. It wasn't until they heard a shot, followed by Derek crying out, that the notice. Talia made quick work of him, ripping off his head with a single stroke. Derek was holding his side, unable to shift, and bleeding on the floor. Stiles and Lydia rushed to push him back behind cover, but Rachel could see the blackness spreading through his veins. Whatever was in the gun was potent. 

"She is leaving!" Laura roared as she raced after Kate's retreating frame. "Peter go with Derek. Scott, you and your pack follow me, leave Lydia and Stiles here." The wolves followed her command and they raced out of the warehouse.

"Derek." Rachel breathed out as she pushed hair from her face. "Come on." She huffed as she slung one of his arms over her shoulders.

"What do we do?" Lydia asked, fear making her voice quiver. 

"We have to get to my brother. He has my guns." She said quickly as she tried to heave him up off the floor. Peter materialized on the other side and helped her.

"You're going to shoot him? What the hell is wrong with you? It can't be that bad, I mean there must be a way to help him other than putting him down! Aren't you suppose to be helping? What help is it going to be to -" Stiles started yelling but Rachel whipped her head around.

"I'm not going to kill him, but if your don't shut up and start helping I'M GOING TO KILL YOU." The huntress roared, her patience now run thin and essentially non-existent.

"What do you need?" Stiles asked meekly. 

"Get the keys from his pocket and run ahead. Unlock the back door. We have to get him to my brother. I'll explain when I can, but if we don't move now he will die. The wolfs bane is moving fast and we have to be faster." The huntress adjusted her grip and together with Peter they started to move. Stiles and Lydia ran ahead of them and had the car started and the doors open by the time they got there.

"Okay I'll drive. Peter you call my brother and tell him what is going on. Lydia I need you in the back to hold him still. Stiles you follow us in your jeep. Okay?" Rachel asked as she got in the driver's seat. Everyone nodded and soon she was speeding down the road with Peter yelling at Chris.

"No! I can't give her the phone she is speeding like a demon out of hell. Yes, Derek has been shot! Yes, she is okay. We need you to meet us somewhere halfway." There was a pause. "Do you know of the vet clinic in town? You do? Great. Go there. Take a left Rachel." Peter said and Rachel took a hard left, making Lydia brace in the back. "Okay. Okay. OKAY. See you soon." Peter hung up and let out a huge sigh. "Your brother is insufferable."

"I know." Rachel gritted out as she pressed the gas harder. "Where next." 

"Just up ahead. Almost there." Peter muttered as he peered through the window.

Rachel saw the clinic and turned in much sharper than was really safe for a car like this. Throwing the car into park she jumped out. Peter, with his quick werewolf speed, was behind her as she was opening the back door. Lydia maneuvered Derek to them and together they dragged him into the clinic.

"Deaton!" Peter yelled as he stood in the front. "Come out here." 

Deaton appeared, looking indignant, but as soon as he saw Derek he opened the door to the back and ushered them in. Derek was laid on the table, his face pale and skin growing shallow. His body was trying to fight off the infection, but it was losing terribly. Without asking or worrying about privacy Rachel opened drawers and searched for anything that might be useful. Grabbing a rag she ran cold water over it.

"Get his shirt off." She told Peter, who quickly complied and shredded the garment. Taking the cold rag she pressed it to his bullet wound and cleaned around it gingerly. "There isn't much I can do till Chris gets here with my guns." She muttered.

"Why do you need your guns?" Stiles asked. Rachel hadn't noticed him slip in behind them, and she didn't bother to look at him as she pressed Derek's wound.

"He was shot by a special made bullet. A strain of wolfs bane that is highly toxic to werewolves. The only way to stop it from killing him is to use the same strain to counteract it. I have to get my gun, take a bullet from it, and burn the contents. Then I can take the burning embers and place it over the injury. That will counteract his illness, it will save him from it." The huntress explained, leaning over the sink to wash the blood off the cloth.

Rachel was getting impatient with her brother taking so long. Derek was starting to mumble things incoherently and the black around his wound was stretching up his chest, dangerously close to his heart. The huntress tried to sooth him as much as possible. She ran the rag over his face and neck, wiping away sweat. She whispered to him that he was going to be okay, that everything was going to be fine, that he wasn't going to die on a metal table in the back of a vet clinic. Peter silently pushed Lydia and Stiles from the room in order to give them some space. Deaton himself hung back in the corner and let her care for the injured Hale.

"He'll be here soon. We'll get you fixed up." Rachel said softly, smoothing some of his hair back as she wiped away more oozing blood.

"You like me." Derek said hoarsely.

"Well, yeah you idiot. Who wouldn't?" She asked as she pressed gingerly against the open hole in his abdomen. His face contorted into pain.

"No." He hissed through his clenched teeth. "You _like_ me." He insisted. This time Rachel understood what he meant. She didn't say anything for a long moment, just staring at his heaving chest.

"Don't die on me, Derek." Rachel pleaded as she rested her head over his heart. "I promise we can hash this out, just don't die."

Derek smiled weakly at her, his teeth still bright as ever even though his body was dying. It made Rachel want to cry.

"Rachel!" A voice called from the front. 

"Oh thank god." The green eyed female nearly did cry when she heard her brother. He bust through the door and she grabbed her gun from his hand. Extracting a bullet from the barrel she popped it open and spilled the contents on the table. "Got a lighter?" She asked Deaton, who threw her a box of matches. Striking it she lit the contents and let it burn a few moments before scooping it up and smearing it into Derek's bleeding side. He howled in pain, but otherwise didn't move. Slowly the black tendrils receded and the wound closed shut. The young Hale was breathing hard and his eyes were looking wildly, but he seemed like he would survive.

Chris looking like he was stuck between wanting to hug Rachel or tear her limb from limb.

"A word." He growled out, jerking his head to the door. 

"Watch him." She shot to Deaton before leaving after her brother. Stiles, Lydia, and Peter were in the entrance with Victoria. Peter stood, as if threatening Chris to do something rash. "Stand down. We're just going to talk." Peter gave her a questioning look, but backed out of the way for Chris to pass. Victoria's eyes followed them out. Her brother didn't stop walking till they were halfway down the deserted street.

"What the hell was that?" He questions, rounding so fast that Rachel had to take a step back to avoid him hitting her.

"What was what?" 

"You. Him. What the hell is going on Rachel? Where were you and why was Kate there? How did Derek get shot? Who the hell is the vet and why are there children?" He bounced his questions so fast Rachel had trouble remembering them.

"I was with Derek and his pack when Talia called a pack meeting to talk about Kate. There isn't just one pack here and Talia wanted them to know. I'm not sure why Kate showed up, or even how she found us. Derek was shot by one of her men, there were two, and both of them are currently shreds. Deaton, the vet, is the emissary to the Hale pack. And those kids you saw were part of the second pack." The huntress tried to keep everything simple.

"Why were you with Derek?" Chris narrowed his eyes.

"I stayed the night at their home." There was no point in lying. If Chris found out she was lying there would be more than hell to pay.

"WHAT?" He bellowed, stepping forward into her space. "Why?"

"Because Kate vandalized my home and Derek offered. I accepted because it was late and I didn't want Allison asking questions." It was hard to keep her voice even when she wanted to get in her older brother's face. He was pushing his luck.

"There is more to it than that isn't there?" Chris was pacing now. "I saw your face, I heard you speak, and from the way Peter acted your more than just a friend to them."

"I _might_ be seeing Derek." She conceded. 

"Might? Are you insane?"

"No, I think out of all of us I might be the most sane in the family actually." She was being snide now.

"He is a werewolf."

"He protected me, he gave me shelter, he talks to me like I'm an actual human being and not a child, and he trusts me." Rachel took a deep breath. "He gives me more credit than you for sure."

"I don't like this." Chris seethed. "I don't want you around him. You're moving in with me and Victoria and that is final."

"Excuse me?" Rachel was laughing now. "I don't think so."

"I said that is final."

"I say _fuck that_." The huntress crossed her arms. "You can either support my choices or forget I exist. I'm not a child anymore Chris. You're my brother, not my father, and I think I deserve to be happy for once. You have a wife, a kid, a job, and a house to go home to. What do I have that I don't share with you? Nothing. Absolutely _fucking_ nothing." Rachel turned and looked down the street. "Am I being selfish? Maybe. But you are not getting between this, because I want it, more than I have ever wanted anything before." Her voice dropped low. "And if you get in the way then you'll lose another sister."

Chris stood in stunned silence as he watched his youngest sister walk back to the clinic. Rachel felt cold saying those words, but she did deserved this. Of all people she deserved _this_. Whatever _this_ was...


	5. Winter is Coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas break is fast approaching. Rachel and Chris talk out their differences, Derek and Rachel grow closer, Allison learns about her family, and everyone stresses about what to get one another.  
> Talia and Deaton seem to be the only two who aren't in a frenzied panic.

Time passed after the fight between Chris and Rachel. Everyone knew something had happened between them, but no one dared to ask either of them. It was now only a few days till the Christmas break and Rachel was still living with the Hales. Talia had approved of letting her move in and refused to take rent from her. This bothered the huntress, but she didn't bother to press it simply because she knew she wouldn't win against the Alpha's stubborn nature. 

Deaton had also approved of the move. When Rachel asked him why he simply smiled and explained that it was his duty as an emissary to help the wolves stay connected to their human selves.

"You help him stay in control in ways that I cannot. Having you close makes it easier to keep him calm. His wolf likes you." Deaton told her wisely as he poured himself a cup of coffee. 

"His wolf?" Rachel asked as she leaned against the counter. She was dressed in a tank top and some sweatpants because she'd been cleaning up the kitchen. If Talia wasn't going to let her pay rent she was at least going to help out around the house.

"Yes. Werewolves have two sides, I'm sure you know. The wolf and the man. Talia has her two sides balanced, which is why she is able to completely shift into a wolf. It is rare to find someone who is so balanced. Derek is rather unbalanced. He leans more on his strength as a wolf than his mind and heart as a man." Deaton sipped his coffee as he looked out of the window thoughtfully. "I cannot say I blame him though. If I were him I believe I'd be that same. Everyone he has loved, other than his family, has either died or had an alternate motive for him."

"So why does he trust me?" Rachel wondered aloud as she wiped down the counter.

"His wolf likes you." Deaton said simply has he padded out of the kitchen.

Rachel was left there, half stretched across the counter, to think about those words.

* * *

"What do you all want for Christmas?" Talia asked as she sat down at the table. It was a Saturday, which meant that everyone was able to have a nice meal together at the table without feeling rushed.

Talia was sitting at the head of the table and on the other end was Deaton. Like a mother and father of the house. Derek and Rachel sat on one side of the table, while Laura, Cora, and Peter sat on the other. Well Peter was technically sitting on the window sill, but he was stealing Laura's toast off the table.

"I'd like to get a new book collection." Peter said without looking up from his current reading. Rachel hardly ever saw him without a book, and when she did it was normally because he was waiting to find another one.

"I need to get some new jeans." Laura told her mother absently as she stabbed her eggs. "Stop taking my food!" She yelled, hitting Peter when he tried to get more toast.

"Can you get me a new phone? Issac stepped on mine in the gym." Cora said, holding up her cracked phone. Talia gave her a disapproving look to which Cora ducked her head.

"New speakers for my car." Derek said simply.

"You've already given me herbs I needed. I considered that early Christmas." Deaton said softly as he stirred more sugar into his coffee.

Rachel had been listening to them as she continued eating, but when the table when silent she looked up to see them staring at her. Even Derek had a raised eyebrow at her.

"Did I miss something?" The huntress asked stupidly with a light touch of red appearing on her cheeks.

"Christmas gift?" Talia prompted.

"Um, I don't -" Rachel started.

"Don't say you don't want anything." Talia said sharply. Rachel snapped her mouth shut. 

"I don't know. Surprise me?" She said meekly.

"You can't think of anything you want?" Derek asked her, trying to wring something from her.

"Not really. I mean Christmas isn't something I've celebrated often." She admitted. The Hales (and Deaton) looked at her like she'd personally insulted each of them. 

"Well that is going to change." Talia said firmly as she returned to breakfast. Conversation started back up at the table and Rachel let out a silent breath of relief.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Derek asked from behind. Rachel, still not used to how quiet Derek was, jumped when he spoke.

"Jesus, can you not do that?" She hissed as she tried to slow her racing heart. The werewolf just gave her a playful smile, as if she was here for his amusement. 

"Sorry." He apologized, even though he didn't sound apologetic.

The both of them were up in his room relaxing from the breakfast with the family. It was like a routine for them by now. Saturdays they ate with the family and then vanished for the rest of the day to either spend time together out of the house, or lounge around and relax. Rachel still was working on trying to find Kate, and Derek tried to help her where he could, but it was like her sister had vanished in thin air. Again.

"You're upset." Derek muttered has he wrapped his arms around her. "Why?"

"I'm just frustrated is all." Rachel explained as she let him pull her down to the bed. He pulled her till she was spooned up against him. By now the huntress was used to being held by the broody wolf, it was just a way he tried to help her, and she would never tell him this but it did actually help her.

"You're thinking about Kate?" He prodded as he rested his head against the back of her neck.

"Among other things." She supplied cryptically. 

"Care to share?"

"Do you really want to hear about my problems?"

"You listen to me when I need it." Rachel smiled to herself when his arms tightened around her. "A relationship works both ways... or so I've been told." Derek was smiling against her now.

"I'm worried about finding Kate. We have her and then she always gets away and vanishes. Allison doesn't know anything about being an Argent and her father won't tell her, and I know she suspects something because we have all been sneaking around a lot recently. And Chris is something else entirely. Me and him haven't spoken since we got into the fight, and a part of me feels torn but the other part is too proud to say I was wrong. I just..." Rachel let out a long sigh. "I just want to be treated like my say means something."

For a long time Derek stayed silent, and for a moment Rachel suspected that he might have fallen asleep, but he finally moved to where he was leaned over her so that she could see his face. His eyes were full of emotion, and she couldn't quite place all of them, but she could see the understanding flash in them.

"You need to talk to him." Derek said seriously. "It is like you told me before when me and Cora got into it, he may be hard on you, but it is because he just wants to protect you."

"He wants to protect me from you." She said bluntly.

"I can be dangerous." Derek pointed out.

"Not to me." Derek looked at her for a long moment.

"No, but he doesn't see me the way you do. He doesn't see the side of me that you do." Derek reasoned. "Promise me you will talk to him." 

"Why?" Rachel asked confused.

"Please, just promise me. I don't want to see you two fall out over this." He said, motioning between the two of them. The huntress tried to roll over and press her face into the pillow, but she was stopped by a strong arm. "Rachel." He growled lowly.

"Fine, I'll talk to him, but don't blame me if he annoys me and I shoot him!" She said snappily. Derek smiled and pressed a kiss to her temple. 

"Want to watch more cartoons?" He asked her, changing the subject.

"Yeah." Rachel said, rolling over to grab the remote off the nightstand.

The two of them often found themselves enjoying their time together by either watching cartoons in bed or doing something around town. Lately though they'd been opting more to stay at the Hale house. Kate was being elusive, and Talia wasn't exactly trusting that the huntress wouldn't attack her family if they strayed too far from her protection. Even Deaton supported the idea of staying home when they could. The older man himself was now living in the house with the Hales. His presence seemed to put the wolves more at ease.

After retrieving the remote Rachel settled back on the bed and flipped on some Scooby-Doo. The first time Derek had caught her watching it he'd silently judged her, but after watching an entire season he finally would admit that the show wasn't _that_ bad. Sometimes he was even surprised by who the bad guy was. As the show progressed Rachel found herself tangled up in Derek's arm again. How many times had she found herself pressed against him in a day? She honestly was starting to lose track. Neither of them had brought up the conversation from the night Derek had been shot. Did he even remember his words? 

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Derek asked her. His voice low since he was talking right into her ear. 

"What makes you think that I'm thinking?" Rachel countered, turning her head to look at him. There was no way she could bullshit him. Not with his super hearing.

"Talk to me." He insisted as he pulled them both into a more sitting position. With a defeated sigh she muted the TV.

"What do you remember about the night you got shot?" She asked him. He raised an eyebrow at her in confusion. "When you were on the Deaton's table, dying, you told me that I liked you. Do you remember that?"

"Yes. Vaguely. I remember you telling me that we would hash it out later, but you never brought it up. I didn't want to push you." He told her softly. "Is that what is bothering you? If I'm being to pushy or making you uncomfortable with this let me know. We have a guestroom open now, so if you don't want to stay with me then we can have you moved. I didn't even think about it until -" Rachel covered his mouth with a hand as she turned in his arms to face him.

"Stop. That is not what has me bothered. Staying in the same room with you isn't a problem Derek. I don't mind that you are super cuddly. I get that that is a wolf thing for you. You like having the people you love close to you right? I mean I see how close you always sit to your sisters, or how you always hug your mom longer than most people consider normal." She explained as she took her hand away from his mouth. "I'm just worried about this." She said, gesturing between the two of them. "I know I was the one who suggested fake dating, but I think it is safe to say that the feelings aren't fake anymore."

Derek stayed silent. His lips were pressed thin and his eyes sharpened. It seemed now that he understood what she was trying to voice.

"You are worried about your feelings for me?" He prompted.

"I'm worried about falling for someone who might not return the favor. Deaton said that your wolf likes me. I don't really know what the means, but he seemed to think it was good. I'm more worried about the man part of you liking me, because otherwise this won't work." Rachel told him, her voice getting slowly more quiet. She wasn't used to opening up and talking about things like this. Most of her previous relationships had been one night stands. Long relationships just were hard to keep with a life like her's.

"My wolf refers to the animal side of me, the part that runs on pure instinct. When Deaton told you that my wolf likes you, he means exactly what he said. When I'm wolfed out, and not thinking with the most rational part of my brain, I won't see you as a threat. I'll see you as part of the pack." He explained slowly as he maneuvered Rachel to sit on his thighs so she could face him. "Usually the wolf only likes pack. Pack mates are the only ones you can truly trust when you are in times of need. Sometimes, though, the wolf will find someone it considers trustworthy enough to let in. My wolf chose you." He told him simply as he studied her face, searching for a reaction.

"But why did it chose me?" Rachel asked, allowing her weight to fall on the Hale. "I'm a hunter. You shouldn't trust me."

"I'm a werewolf. You shouldn't trust me. What is the difference?" Derek pinned her with a hard look. "My wolf trusts you because you are willing to throw yourself into danger for my family. My wolf chose you because you are intelligent and extremely hard working. You are fit to carry your own weight and then some. You never let someone down and you keep your word, but more than that, my wolf chose you because you have never lied to me or treated me like I'm beneath you." Derek leaned forward as he spoke and his eyes slowly bled to blue, taking Rachel's breath away. "I chose you because you are everything I want to be." 

The room fell into a trance-like silence at the admission. It was like static was zooming around in the air and one wrong move would end up shocking them both. Rachel sat in the Hale's lap for a long time, just looking at him in the eyes trying to decipher him. Yes, she was reliable when it came to her doing things she said she would. Yes, she liked to think that she was an honest person. Yet didn't he see that being like her would only cause problems? Derek was a Hale. He was strong, and smart, and he had a family that loved him beyond measure.

"You shouldn't say that." Rachel said hoarsely, her voice failing her as emotions washed over her. "You don't want to be like me. You are so much better as being who you are, Derek. You are strong and resilient, so powerful yet humble in a sense. You have a family that loves you. A place to call home. Your wolf may trust me, but it shouldn't. I'm just so broken I don't even think I could begin to function in this pack."

Derek just smiled at her softly and shook his head as he pulled her in close to his chest.

"Sometimes I wonder how you can act so stupid." He muttered into her hair. Rachel stiffened in his lap, more than slightly offended by his words. "You're already pack." Those three words were like a punch to the gut. "And once you're with us, it is hard for us to let go. So buckle up because you are in this for the long haul."

Rachel let herself melt into Derek's arms. While she still had some trouble thinking this could work out, it was nice, and if he believed it then maybe she should try harder to see it from his perspective. 

* * *

"Aunt Rachel?" Allison called as she crossed the school's parking lot. 

Rachel smiled and waved from where she was leaned up against her Honda. It had been awhile since she'd seen the younger Argent and she'd be lying if she said she didn't miss the teen. Allison rushed over and nearly tackled her with a running hug. 

"What are you doing here?" The young girl asked as she straightened her book bag on her shoulder. "Are you and Dad still fighting?" 

"Well I figured I'd come pick you up and drop you off at home and I'd have a chat with your father." The huntress explained. "I saw you post the picture on Facebook last night about hitting the dog. Figured your car would still be in the shop." 

The younger Argent seemed to depress at the mention of the dog. 

"He just ran right out. I didn't even see him until it was too late." Allison's eyes started to water as she recalled the event.

"Shh." Rachel soothed as she hugged the girl. "It happens sometimes. It wasn't your fault."

After soothing her niece, Rachel managed to get her into the car with the promise of picking up a drink from Sonic. The drive home wasn't filled with much chatter, but Allison seemed happy just being with her Aunt.

"You know, I don't know what you and Dad are fighting about, but I know he has been really beating himself up about it. I can't even tell you how many times he has taken out his phone and dialed your number before shutting it. Every time I ask him about it he just tells me that he doesn't think you will forgive him." Allison was looking out the front when she spoke. "We miss you."

A knot twisted in the lower part of Rachel's stomach as she listened. It hadn't been fair to ignore Allison just because Rachel had been too afraid to face her brother. And poor Chris was most likely driving himself insane. Yet, at the same time, Rachel didn't regret standing up for herself.

"Don't worry. Me and Chris are gonna set things straight."

"You promise?" Allison was looking at her now.

"I promise."

* * *

As the Honda pulled into the driveway Victoria opened the front door with keys in her hand. 

"Oh." She said said stupidly as she watched Allison and Rachel exit the car.

"Hey." Rachel greeted sheepishly. "Chris here?" 

"Inside. Study room."

"Thanks." Rachel moved to walk into the house but Victoria stopped her. 

"Will you be here for dinner? I'm running to the store." It seemed like she wanted to say something else, but was struggling with the words.

"I'm not sure. Don't worry about me." The huntress told her before following her niece into the house.

"I'll let you go talk to Dad." Allison said as she walked upstairs. "Plus, homework doesn't do itself." 

Rachel smiled and watched her disappear into the room before trekking to the study where her brother was. As she opened the door she noted that her brother was bent over his computer typing furiously.

"Bad time?" Rachel asked, letting her brother know she was there. Chris startled a little bit and looked up at her. "Wow, you look like shit." She said before she could think about it. Chris had darkened circles under his eyes. His skin was paler than usual and he just looked so jumpy. 

"I just, uh, I was..." Chris looked at his computer and then at her. "I was trying to follow up a lead." He told her finally.

"I haven't had any luck either, if that makes you feel any better." She told him as she stepped inside and shut the door. "I assume you already know I'm here to talk."

Chris nodded his head and motioned for her to take a seat, but she waved the offer off. It would be better if she remained standing.

"So I'm just gonna say what I have to say, and then I'll listen to what you have to say." Rachel told him as she wrung her hands together. Her brother nodded and signaled her to continue. "I know what I said was pretty fucked up, but I was scared and upset. I know you don't approve of me and Derek, but trust me when I say that he would never hurt me. I like him, a lot, and I don't really understand why I do, but I do. Kate almost killed him, and I just wanted to make sure he wasn't going to die, if for any other reason than to not have a pissed off Talia Hale running around." She took a breath. 

"But, I'd be lying if I said me and Derek were the only issue. Chris I'm so tried of being treated like a child. You act like I'm some kind of infant, and I know you are just trying to look out for me. Hell, you raised me. No question about that." Rachel looked at her brother and gave him a smile. "I've been saved by you a lot of times, but you have to admit that I've saved your neck at times too. I'm not going to learn how to stand on my own if I don't fall a few times. So please, listen to me, and treat me like a sister and not a liability."

"I just don't want to lose you." Chris said tiredly. 

"I know, but this is just one of those things that I have to see to the end. Even if it is a bitter one." She reasoned as she walked around the desk to hug her brother. Chris opened his arms and let her hold him. "I will always be here for you brother, even when I'm at my wits end with you, but you have got to stop treating me like this."

"I know." Chris leaned back in his chair when they separated. His tired eyes seemed to have a spark back in them.

"We good?" Rachel asked, sounding hopeful. 

"Yeah, we're good."

The huntress nodded her head and the two of them made their way out of the study and into the kitchen to have some coffee. 

"You do know that if he hurts you, I _will_ skin him." Chris said as he sipped his coffee.

"You wouldn't be my brother if you didn't."

* * *

"You're coming home late." Cora called out from the living room as Rachel entered the house. It was late. The clock on the wall told her it was only fifteen minutes to midnight. She'd ended up staying for dinner and after Allison turned in for the night she played some darts with Victoria and Chris. They'd talked about stuff regarding Kate over a few beers, but eventually Victoria was the voice of reason and ushered the huntress off before she ended up staying the night.

"What are you still doing up? Don't you have school tomorrow? I know midterms are coming up with the winter break almost being here." Rachel said as she shrugged off her coat and hung it up on the rack.

"I'm actually studying history." Cora muttered darkly as she glared at her open textbook. "So boring reading about a bunch of dead guys."

"Need any help?" Rachel offered as she padded across the room quietly. 

"Nah, I got it. It isn't a hard read, just very boring and dry." Cora huffed as she flipped another page. "Derek missed you at dinner. I think he finally went to bed."

The huntress knew that as her que to go check on the broody wolf. She'd been told by the family that sometimes Derek got huffy when she was away for too long without keeping him updated on where she was. He didn't really care about what she did, but just knowing where she was seemed to keep him at ease.

"Alright, don't stay up too late. I'll see you in the morning." Rachel said softly as she exited the room and took the stairs. 

When she opened the bedroom door she saw Derek face down in the pillows. His back rose and fell slowly as he took his breaths. The triskelion on his back was visible in the low lighting and it seemed to catch her attention every time she had a chance to see it. Although any part of Derek caught her attention when it was exposed to be fair.

Shaking her head she silently slipped into the bathroom. She then quickly brushed her teeth and slipped into her normal sleeping attire; a pair of boxers and a faded tank-top. Throwing her dirty clothes into her hamper she exited the bathroom and crawled into bed. Even being as careful as she could Derek grunted and slowly lifted his head.

"Shh, it is just me." Rachel soothed as she put a hand on his back and urged him to lay back down. "Go back to sleep."

"What time is it?" He asked, ignoring her hand trying to push him back down.

"A little past midnight." She said, giving up on trying to get him back to sleep.

"You took a long time. Started to worry that he locked you in the cellar or something." Derek grumbled as he turned to stare at the ceiling. Rachel couldn't help but laugh as she snuggled up to him. 

"How are you always so warm?" She asked as she buried her face into his chest. Derek just smiled at her. It was one of his smiles that made Rachel worry. The smile someone had before they threw you into the pool when you had your _good_ clothes on.

Rachel didn't have to wonder long about what he was going to do. His hands snapped down on either side of her ribs and his fingers dug into her skin. She tried not to laugh, really, she did, but it wasn't really fair. The huntress slapped one hand over her mouth to muffle the noises while the other hand went to try and dislodge herself from Derek's grip. 

"Stop!" She hissed as she sucked in a breath. "I'm going to wake up the house! Derek!" 

Derek finally stopped when Rachel 'accidentally' kneed him close to his groin area. As Rachel caught her breath Derek situated them both under the covers.

"I hate you." The huntress wheezed as she fluffed her pillow.

"Mmm, I know you do." The Hale said pressing a kiss to the back of her neck.

"Good night, Derek." Rachel said through a yawn.

"Night, Rachel."

* * *

The next morning went by smoothly. Derek woke up and took a shower, then Rachel showered and they both went downstairs together wearing sweatpants and loose shirts. Cora scrunched her nose at them, like she always did. Rachel knew that the girl did it just for show. Cora had admitted to her that she like Rachel a lot and was happy to see her brother with the huntress, but since she was the younger sister it was her job to be annoying.

After breakfast Derek took Cora to school and Rachel went to work on cleaning up the house. There wasn't that much to really clean. Mostly it was dust and a few of Deaton's stray papers, but it was nice to do something with her time. Talia stopped her and sat her down for lunch and Peter ended up joining them. They were just finishing up when Derek came back home. He'd stopped by the gas station to pick up a Red Box movie.

The both of them slipped upstairs and watched the movie in peace. Laura popped her head in and asked if they wanted go shopping with Talia and her, to which they declined in favor of a nap. They were just settling down when Rachel's phone went off.

"Ugh." She groaned, not wanting to move since she was comfy under the covers. 

"Ignore it." Derek said, tightening his arm around her middle. "You're busy."

"Am I?" She asked him, turning her head to look at him.

"Yes." He told her firmly, pulling her in for a kiss.

"Tempting." She hummed with a smile. "But, it could be important."

Derek sighed loudly, over exaggerating an eye roll, before letting her go. The huntress crawled over the bed and fished her phone from the nightstand.

"Hello?"

_**"Aunt Rachel?"** _

"Allison?" Rachel asked, confused as to why her niece would be calling her. School wasn't out yet. "Something wrong?"

_**"Yeah, it's Scott."** _

The huntress tensed and Derek noticed instantly. He crawled over her and listened to the conversation.

"What happened?"

 ** _"I-I don't really k-know."_ ** Rachel heard Allison take a deep breath. _**"He said he needs Derek. His eyes are... they're red. I don't know what to do. I don't want to leave him alone."**_

"Where are you?"

**_"In the woods behind the lacrosse field."_ **

"We'll be there in a few minutes. Stay with him, but keep a safe distance."

**_"What is happening? Rachel, I'm freaking out."_ **

"I'll explain when I get there. Don't provoke him." Rachel said before hanging up the phone and jumping of the bed. Her hands were shaking as she changed into her jeans and threw on a clean shirt. Derek was buckling his belt when she turned around. "I can't believe this is happening." Rachel said, her breath becoming a little short as she began to panic. 

"It is going to be alright." Derek soothed as he led them outside.

"I don't know how I'm going to explain things to her. Her father doesn't want her to know, but I can't protect her from what she's already seen. And if Chris finds out about her and Scott dating he is going to go off the deep end again. I just got back in good graces with him. I don't know what to do." Rachel said quickly. Her foot tapped quickly against the floor of the car as Derek sped through the town towards the school.

"Rachel, everything is going to be fine. Face one thing at a time."

The huntress didn't bother to respond to him, instead she focused on the window and watched as the scene flew by. Derek whipped into the school parking lot at record speed and the both of them took off to the field as soon as the car was in park. Derek ran ahead and sniffed out Scott. He was on the ground, hands gripping his head, with glowing red eyes. Derek knelt down and hauled him into a sitting position. Allison was standing off to the side. Her eyes were glued to Scott and her hands were shaking, in her hands she still held her phone tightly.

"Allison." Rachel said moving close to her niece. The girl tore his eyes away from Scott to look at her Aunt.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Her voice was cracking.

"I'm not sure. Derek is taking care of it. Are you okay? He didn't hurt you did he?" The huntress reached out and took Allison's hands. She turned over her arms and looked for any cuts or bruises. 

"I'm fine. I just, I don't know what happened. We were walking out here to meet with Issac, but then Issac got held back in class. So me and Scott decided to skip class and hang out and then he just collapsed and his eyes started glowing. He started growling and then he told me to call Derek but I didn't have Derek's number, but you were with him so I called you. And now y'all are here but I don't understand what is going on." Allison's words were rushed but somehow Rachel was able to understand what she was saying.

"I can try to explain, but you are going to think I'm kinda crazy and your dad is gonna be so pissed off at me." Rachel told Allison slowly as she tried to calm the teen. "Can you promise me that you will be open minded about what I'm going to tell you?" 

"Yeah, I mean, I guess." Allison said as she stuffed her hands into her coat. Her eyes flicked between Scott and Derek.

"Scott is a werewolf." Rachel said bluntly. Allison looked at her in confusion. "Yeah. So is Derek. That is why Scott told you to call Derek, because Derek might know what is wrong, if not we're gonna take him back to the Hale house and have Deaton look him over." Rachel grabbed Allison and stared at her hard. "I know you think I'm playing with you Allison but I'm not. Have you ever noticed how Scott is able to tell when you aren't being truthful? Or how he can see things, smell things, and do things that other people can't? Well that is because he is a werewolf. No he doesn't transform in the full moon, no he doesn't have to eat people, and no he won't turn into an actual wolf."

Both Argents stood there for a long moment, just staring at each other. 

"You're serious?" She asked lowly.

"Yeah. Me and your dad hunt bad werewolves. Why do you think he owns so many guns? Why we have bullets we don't sell to the police. It is the reason he goes on those 'camping trips' with me or goes out and doesn't come back till late in the night or early morning." The more Rachel spoke the more Allison was piecing it together.

"That's why we always move?"

"Yeah."

There was a pause as Allison looked at Scott.

"Is he dangerous?" She asked in a hushed tone.

"All werewolves are dangerous. They are more powerful than us in almost every way, but I don't think that Scott would mean you harm." Rachel told her truthfully. Allison sucked in a breath and nodded her head.

"I think you're right." She finally said.

The both of them turned to see how the younger male was doing. Derek managed to get him onto his feet. His eyes were back to normal but his face was still contorted into pain. Derek was saying something to him, but the Argents were too far to hear what was being said. 

"He alright?" Rachel called over. Derek nodded his head and led Scott over. "What happened?" 

"His wolf is growing." Derek said simply. "It only happens maybe two or three times."

"I thought you said he couldn't become a wolf?" Allison asked her Aunt.

"He can't. Derek refers to their animal side as the wolf. Scott is man when he is like this." Rachel gestured to him standing as he was. "When he is shifted his wolf is more prominent. And when I say shifted I mean they grow a lot of facial hair, some fangs, claws, and glowing eyes."

"Wow." Allison said, looking at Scott. "I can't see you with facial hair."

"Yeah." Scott said lamely. "At least it goes away when we shift back."

"Oh. That's good." Allison shifted on her feet.

"Well this feels awkward." Rachel said slowly. Derek nodded his head.

"So you and Derek are dating, but you hunt people like him?" Allison said slowly.

"Yes and no. Bad werewolves are hunted. Derek is... okay." Rachel said, giving the Hale a smile.

"Okay? Just ok?" He asked, sounding slightly offended.

Allison smiled at them and shook her head. At least some things didn't change. Scott slowly approached her with a kicked puppy expression to which she grabbed his hand and held it.

"So, you can't tell your dad I told you any of what just happened here. We are gonna leave and you two are going to class. No more skipping to come make out in the woods." Rachel told them sternly. Allison's face lit up like a stop light and Scott choked on his spit. "Oh don't play stupid. You totally skipped class to come kiss in the woods. I'm not much older than you guys. I know about hormones. Please tell me you are being safe."

"Rachel! Stop! Yes. Just... oh my god leave please." Allison buried her face in her hands as the blush burned down her neck.

"Alright. See ya." Rachel said, pulling Derek out of the woods behind her.

"Told you everything would be alright." Derek said as they got in the car.

"Shut up. You'll jinx it."

 

 


	6. Silent Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is excited for Christmas. The kids are out of school now, Talia gets to hang all her decorations, Victoria gets to cook her famous meal, and Deaton can close his shop for some long need vacation. Rachel and Derek are just going to try and survive the holidays.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any grammatical errors and typos. This is un-betaed.

There was a loud banging noise coming from the door that awoke Rachel from her wonderful sleep. Green eyes blinked open slowly and a groan followed as she tried to sit up. Derek's arm made that extremely hard to do. The werewolf had buried his head into the pillow and was growling death threats to whomever was on the other side of the door.

"Derek, get up! Mom wants to talk to everyone in the kitchen." Laura yelled from through the door. "I don't care if this door is locked, if you aren't up in the next ten minutes I'm coming in."

Rachel could hear the young alpha female tromp down the stairs. Derek lifted his head and blinked slowly. It would have been adorable if he didn't look so pissed off at the world. He definitely wasn't a morning person.

"What time is it?" He asked, letting Rachel go and shifting into a sitting position.

"About twenty minutes to seven." The huntress told him, slipping out of bed and getting dressed before Derek could trap her again.

As she got dressed Rachel also sorted out clothes for Derek to wear downstairs. Last night had been rough for him. He'd stayed up later that usual on the phone with Scott. Apparently the young alpha was in distress about the lack of communication between the packs. The Argents and Hales had the unspoken agreement to keep Scott's pack out of the fight as much as possible, but it seemed that the pack didn't want to be pushed aside. Rachel finally clocked out around one in the morning while Derek was still on the phone. 

"Come on. Some coffee will do you good." Rachel soothed as she put his clothes beside him and combed her finger through his hair. "I really don't want Laura to come in here and drag us out. That just looks bad."

Derek hummed in agreement before finally pushing the covers off and getting ready. The both of them brushed their teeth before heading downstairs.

Talia was sitting at the head of the table when they arrived. Plates of food had been placed up and down the table and in the center was a tray of different drinks. No one, other than Deaton and Talia looked awake enough to be sitting at a breakfast table. Yet everyone was here, grunting at one another and nursing large mugs of steaming coffee, or in Cora's case, hot chocolate.

Once Rachel fixed herself and Derek a mug of caffeine they sat across the table of Laura and Peter. Peter was taking enjoyment for himself by plucking food off of Laura's plate. While he did this almost every morning it seemed to be irking Laura more than usual, causing her to stab at his hand with her fork every time he went to take a piece of toast or sausage.

"Alright, calm down." Talia scolded the two of them before looking around at the assembled table. "We've got some planning to do." The Hale mother pulled out a small book and placed it on the table. "As usual, Deucalion and his pack will be coming by to share a nightly run with us the night before Christmas, so we have to make sure that we are well rested and ready. I've already informed him about our 'Kate situation', but after some talking he has convinced me that if a problem arises we will be able to handle it."

"Deucalion's pack is strong. I doubt Kate would make a move when we have the two packs together." Peter said lazily. "It would be suicide for her."

"Also, Rachel, we should figure out what you are going to be doing on during the holidays. I assume that your family will want to spend time with you, but I wasn't sure if you would be spending any time with us." Talia looked at her for an answer, to which Rachel shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm not sure. Chris hasn't reached out to me, but I'll call him and see what the plans are." The huntress said before taking a sip of her coffee. 

Talia looked at her book and made a few notes before speaking again. "Deaton has also expressed that he would like to have Christmas with us since his sister will be spending her's with Deucalion's pack." 

"I'm sure that isn't the only reason he wants to stay." Laura muttered into the lip of her cup.

"What?" Talia asked, head snapping up.

"What?" Laura asked dumbly. Cora smiled into her hot chocolate and Peter just snorted under his breath with disbelief.

After that Talia went through her long list of things rather quickly. The list of food was almost as long as the list of people, and suddenly Rachel felt very relieved that Laura and Cora would be helping Talia with the cooking. The huntress could already picture herself setting something on fire or dropping a main dish. The last thing she wanted to do was embarrass herself in front of a crowd of people.

Finally the meeting was over and everyone was starting to file out of the kitchen. Talia left first, saying something about last minute decorating, and Deaton shuffled off to his room to finish wrapping his gifts for everyone. Peter and Cora vanished outside to work on Peter's garden. The garden was his new project and Cora had surprisingly taken an interest in it. 

Now it was just Derek, Laura, and Rachel lounging around in the kitchen. Derek was still at the table, fighting to stay awake, while Rachel was busy washing the dishes in the sink. Laura was hovering at the kitchen entrance looking bored.

"What do you want Laura?" Derek finally asked. He was getting irritated by his sister just hanging around and not saying anything. She'd seemed to be doing this more often around Derek and Rachel when they were together.

"I need to finish hanging lights on the roof, but I don't want to do it by myself." She admitted as she looked outside. It was snowing lightly.

"And you want me to help, huh?" Derek looked at her with a disapproving look.

"Please." Laura put on her most innocent look. Derek flipped her off before standing up.

"Fine, but you owe me." Derek told her seriously before following her out of the house. 

Rachel shook her head and finished cleaning up the kitchen. If she listened closely she could hear Derek and Laura walking around on the roof setting up the lights. Drying her hands she pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts. 

Chris picked up the phone on the second ring.

"Hello?" Chris echoed off her phone as she put him on speaker. 

"Wow, you sound really tired." Rachel said as she busied herself with putting up the clean dishes. Her phone rested safely on the counter top where it wouldn't be knocked off as she moved around.

"You don't sound so rested yourself." He retorted quickly. "Sorry to be snappy, but is there a reason you called? I have a small mountain of gifts to wrap and Victoria is going to be coming back with more soon." Rachel smiled as she recalled how overboard Vic went when it came to gifts.

"Yeah, I wanted to know if you wanted me to come over for Christmas." The huntress put the last of the glasses up and closed the cabinet softly. 

"I thought you were spending Christmas with Derek. Me and Victoria were going to take Allison out around town to see the lights, but if you want we can cancel." Rachel could hear him moving stuff around on his side of the line. There was a rustling sound, some grunting, and then a triumphant cry. "Another gift done."

"It sounds like you are fighting the gifts rather than wrapping them." The younger Argent teased. She leaned her hip on the counter and sipped her coffee thoughtfully. "I don't want you to cancel your plans. How about I come over tomorrow and spend Eve with you. Then I can spend Christmas with Derek and his family."

"Sounds good. I'll let Allison know your coming over when she gets back from shopping with her mom." There was a pause. "Pray for me. I'm going to have so many paper cuts from these damn wrappings."

Rachel let out a laugh as she picked up her phone and took it off speaker. Pressing the device to her ear she planned with Chris when she would come over. They would go ahead and open gifts for each other on Eve while she was there, and Victoria would make her some of her famous key-lime pie for the Hales.

"I'll see you tomorrow." 

"See ya." Chris said before the line went dead. Closing her phone she stuffed it back into her pocket and let out a deep sigh. She would have to finish wrapping her own gifts tonight then. 

"I really need to stop procrastinating." She mused as she downed the rest of her coffee.

There was a loud thump above her that startled her. Even from the bottom floor she could hear Laura swearing and Derek's rumbling laughter booming from the outside.

"Derek, stop laughing and help me up!" 

"Not my fault you can't keep off your ass."

The huntress rolled her eyes and made her way upstairs. Hopefully the siblings wouldn't kill each other. 

* * *

Derek walked in on Rachel wrapping the last of her gifts. His shirt was torn up and his face was flushed, but he was sporting a proud smirk, which meant that whatever fight him and Laura had gotten into, he'd won. The shreds of the shirt were stripped off and thrown in the general direction of the trashcan before Derek flopped down on the bed beside her.

"Just finished?" He asked as he picked up a small gift in blue wrapping. It was one of Cora's. The huntress had invested some money into getting the girl a custom made charm bracelet. Derek had helped her pick out some of the charms. Both of them were excited to give it to her, but Rachel was a little anxious about it all. What if the Hale family didn't like the gifts she got them?

"Yeah. There were so many. I don't know why I waited last minute to wrap them all." The huntress sighed as she set the last of the gifts in the corner of the room. A safe place where they wouldn't get stepped on or have stuff thrown on them. Rachel took the small package from Derek's hands and placed it with the others. "I'm going over to Chris's tomorrow to spend Eve with them." She told Derek as she crawled back onto the bed.

Derek hummed at her as she snuggled into his side. She was still tired from the night before, which meant that Derek must have been even more exhausted. 

"Does Laura need you for anything else?" Rachel asked, her face pressed into his side. 

"Don't think so. I'm gonna take a nap before dinner." His words were slurred a bit as he started slipping from consciousness. His arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her in close. "You'll stay here with me?"

"A nap sounds good." The huntress said as she got herself comfortable. Kicking off her shoes she heard them make dull noises as they hit the carpeted floor. 

Derek let out a please rumble as Rachel finally settled with her back to his chest. Even without facing him she couldn't help but breath in a smell that was unique to Derek alone. Their room smelled like pine trees, snow, and faintly of mint (thanks to Rachel's obsession with mint hot chocolate this time of year).

"Derek?" Rachel breathed out softly, careful not to wake him if he'd already clocked out.

"Hmm?" He responded from behind her.

Rachel paused a moment, wondering why she had bothered him. Lately there had been a number of things running through her head that had been bothering her. Derek, with his wolf senses, had picked up on it and asked her about it, but she'd been evading his questions. Eventually he'd given up and just allowed her to think on her own things while doing his best to figure out what it was. The huntress didn't even know why she was having the doubts she was having. 

"Do you think I'd be intruding if I spend Christmas here?" She finally asked, shifting uncomfortably as Derek leaned up on one forearm to look at her.

"What?" The Hale was giving her a look of confusion mixed with his normal brooding look. It almost made Rachel want to touch his face and smooth the lines out. He was going to get frown lines.

"I just." Rachel propped herself up on her elbows so that she was more level with Derek. "Your family seems to take Christmas really seriously, and I don't wanna get in the way or mess anything up. I haven't really had that much experience with the whole... domestic life. What if I do something that ruins it?"

"Is that what has been bothering you this past week?" Derek's frown disappeared as it was replaced by a small smile. "Oh my god, Rachel." He sighed as he flopped back to the bed with a small bounce. "I thought you were upset with me about something." He breathed as he rubbed his face tiredly.

"Why would I be mad at you?" Rachel looked at him with confusion.

"Why do you think you're going to ruin Christmas?" He countered, now staring at her with hidden intensity. 

The huntress shrugged her shoulders. She really didn't have an answer to that.

"Rachel..." Derek sighed as he gathered her back in his arms and hugged her. "We want you here."

"I don't think Laura trusts me. She keeps following me and you around everywhere, like I'm going to hurt you or something."

Derek went a little stiff behind her. Turning her head she saw him looking at the roof with a small tint of red to his face.

"She isn't following us for that reason." Derek told her slowly. It was almost like he was embarrassed. 

"Oh?" The huntress asked, suddenly interested. "Then how come she follows you and me."

"It's an Alpha thing." He said quickly. 

"How so?" There was a pause and Rachel pinned Derek with a determined look. "I'm not dropping this."

Derek groaned and rubbed his face again. The heels of his hands dug into his eyes as he tried to compose himself enough to give her an answer that he deemed good enough to satisfy her.

"Normally, when a new person is introduced to the pack it is because they have an... attachment to another member. Like how you are to me." Derek explained slowly. Rachel nodded her head and Derek took a small breath. "Well, normally that person would be another wolf. You aren't, and before you say anything, no that isn't a problem." Another breath. "When two pack members get attached to one another they mate, and the Alpha is normally close by to make sure nothing happens to the pair. Laura's Alpha instincts are in overdrive because another pack is coming and we aren't... mated." He finished slowly.

Rachel's brain tried to process this. It made sense, really, it did. The Alpha's job was to make sure that their pack was well guarded and taken care of, provided for. 

"So your sister is stalking us because we haven't slept together?" The huntress asked him. It wasn't eloquent, but that was how she understood it.

"Basically." Derek nodded. "I don't think anyone from Deucalion's pack would try anything with you, but you aren't mated, and you are considered part of my mother's pack. Technically speaking you are on the market of potential people for mates." He explained, seeming pained by the idea of anyone else being with her. That was touching.

"Don't worry. You're the only wolf for me." The huntress said as she laid atop the Hale's chest. "My sour wolf."

Derek let out a sigh.

"I'm going to kill Laura. She did convert you to the dark side."

* * *

The next day rolled around and Derek was helping Rachel stack the gifts for her family in her car so that they wouldn't fall and get damaged while she drove. Her maroon Honda CRV was back to it's former glory thanks to Derek and Peter. The two of them had worked on it tirelessly once the parts had come in. It looked much better now than it ever did before.

"How long do you think you'll be?" Derek asked as he shut the backdoor. Rachel opened the driver side door and sat in the car as Derek made his way around to stand beside her.

"Not sure. I don't know if they will want me to stay after dinner and have a few drinks with them or not. I'll be back some time tonight though. No point in my staying the night if I'm having Christmas with you." She reasoned as she put her key into the ignition and started the car. The huntress cranked up the heat and let it flow through the car as she stood up and gave her wolf a hug.

"You'll call us if you need us to come and get you, right?" Derek asked her seriously.

"Oh my gosh, Derek." Rachel thumped him playfully upside the back of his head. "I'm not stupid enough to drink and drive."

Derek gave her a small smile and pecked her on the lips before letting go and watching her climb back into the car. As Rachel was doing her seat belt Derek placed something in her lap. Upon inspection she noted that it was a glass of red wine. Really good red wine. 

"My mom wanted to send it with you. Something about being nice and showing kindness or something. I tuned her out." Derek told her jokingly.

"You're the worst." She teased.

"I'm the best. Ever. Now go, or you'll be late." Derek tapped her roof before moving to head back inside.

With a smile Rachel placed the bottle in her passenger seat as she rolled up the window. Her car bumped up and down slightly on the gravel path as she drove off the Hale estate. From her rear view mirror she saw some people walk out of the tree line and to the house. Talia, who'd been waiting on the porch, walked down to meet them halfway. Must have been Deucalion's pack.

* * *

"Alright. Are we all ready?" Chris asked as he stood in the middle of the room.

Rachel and Allison were sitting side by side on a love seat and Victoria was in her armchair with her feet propped up. They'd just finished dinner and had moved into the living room where the tree was. There was a fire burning in the stone place and each of the inhabitants in the room were nursing their own drinks. Rachel and Victoria had opted for more wine, Allison was drinking hot coca because she was too young to consume alcohol, and Chris was hitting the eggnog. Hard. His face was tinted red, but his speech was still good and he was standing, so there was that.

"We've been ready." Allison cried as she set down her drink. "Come on, dad! I want to open something!"

Chris threw his hands up and motioned for her to calm down. He muttered his apologies before swiping up one of Rachel's gifts for Allison and handing it to her like it was the most precious thing ever. Allison let out a small sequel of glee before destroying the paper. The three adults allowed themselves to enjoy the moment for what it was. Allison didn't always act like a child, even though to them, she still was.

"Oh my god! Aunt Rachel!" Allison breathed out excitedly as she slowly lifted out her gift. It was a bow made of rich yew wood. There were engravings along the sides edged with silver paint, giving the weapon a deadly, but ethereal glow. Victoria and Chris looked at the gift with mixed emotion.

"I remember the last time I saw you, you were enrolled in an archery class. As I remember you were very good at it. Figured you might want to try your hand at it again since you like'd it so much." Rachel told her as Allison practically drooled over the gift. The girl's mother had a contemplative look on her face. With everything that was happening in their lives, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to have Allison learn archery. If nothing else than to defend herself.

"It is so pretty. Thank you so much." Allison wrapped her arms around her aunt's neck and squeezed tightly.

"Okay, okay, calm down." Rachel laughed. She held her wine outwards so that it would be saved from being crushed between them. "There are still more to be opened." At those words Allison let her aunt go and looked at her father expectantly.

"Oh, right." Chris said stupidly as he took another gulp of his eggnog. "Next." He proclaimed as he handed a package to his wife.

This box was a little wide and rather heavy, so Victoria was careful in peeling the paper away. When she finally caught a look at the box her head snapped up and wide eyes pinned Rachel down.

"You didn't." She breathed.

"I did." Rachel said with a smile.

"What is it mom?" Allison asked, getting antsy at not knowing what was being talked about.

"A new China set." Victoria said softly as she pulled away the rest of the paper.

"I remember you and Chris complaining that a few plates got damaged during the move, and I know you well enough to know that if it wasn't a full set it was going to bother you. It is a Waterford Lismore Lace Gold 5-Piece Place Setting in a set of 6." Rachel explained as Victoria opened the box. "You have so much silver in this house I thought a little gold could spruce it up a bit." Rachel told her playfully as she polished off her wine.

"It is beautiful. Thank you, Rachel." The mother Argent said as she carefully put the pieces back into the box.

 "You're very welcome Vic." Rachel set down her empty wine bottle and laced her fingers together. "Your gift is next Chris." 

The hunter nodded his head and rooted through the gifts until he managed to find his own present. Once he had the silver parcel in hand he took a seat on the couch and started tearing off the paper in large chunks. A small smile curved itself onto his face. 

"What the hell is this?" He asked when all the paper was gone and there was just a brown box. It was hardly bigger than his palm and light as a feather. "Is this an empty box?" Chris looked torn between laughing and throwing something at his sister.

"Open it up." Rachel instructed him. "Find out for yourself."

Her brother shot her a dirty look as he pried open the box. A bunch of styrofoam peanuts cascaded out of the box and fell around him like fake snow. Chris, in his drunken state watched them fall with an amused expression flitting across his face. Once all the pieces hit the ground he returned his attention to the box and rooted around until he produced a piece of crumbled paper. His eyes took a moment to focus before reading it.

"You got me a receipt?" Chris asked her stupidly.

"It is the receipt to a new grill, dumb ass." Rachel clarified. 

"Oh." Chris took a second to think about this. "Thanks." He went to stand and almost fell backwards, but once on his feet he became steady. Rachel accepted his hug with a smile. 

"Your old one was starting to rust. Figured you'd need to upgrade to a new one soon." She told him as he let her go. 

Allison hopped off the love seat and guided her father to sit back down. She went off saying something about how adults shouldn't drink so much, but Rachel tuned her out as she watched her brother. Chris, for all of his age and wisdom, could not handle his eggnog well. A few cups and he was such a mess. Rachel barely suppressed a giggle as she watched him reach over and grab Victoria's hand lovingly. Victoria was red in the cheeks from the wine, but otherwise she was still fine and very much sober.

"Here you go." Allison broke Rachel from her inner musings about the relationship between her brother and his wife. In her lap was placed a decorative Christmas box held together by some tape on the sides. "This is from me. Mom helped me pick it out." The young girl was turning her hands around one another in excitement as she waited for her Aunt to open the gift.

Rachel tore the tape off and lifted the lid. Inside was what looked like a silver necklace with a moonstone pendent in the shape of a curved _**A**_ placed upon a neatly folded shirt. Carefully Rachel lifted the necklace and looked at it with a critical eye. The chain was thin, but stronger than it looked, and the stone shone brightly as the light caught it at different angles.

"The chain isn't actually silver. It's platinum." Allison explained as she watched Rachel turn it over carefully in her hands. 

"It is so beautiful." The huntress breathed out. Carefully she placed it back in the box and lifted the shirt to look at it closer. It was a nice white blouse with matching buttons to the pendent. "Thank you Allison." Rachel dragged her niece into a hug, which the younger girl eagerly accepted. 

"I'm glad you like it." The younger said as she jumped up to grab another gift. "From dad. With help of mom."

Rachel took the extended gift and was surprised by how heavy it was for just a small parcel. Tearing off the paper she revealed a light brown wooden box with curved carvings done to it. The huntress ran her fingers over the grooves and found a small latch that opened the box. Inside was compartments lined with velvet.

"You made me a jewelry box?" The huntress looked at her brother once she realized that was exactly what the box was.

"I figured you didn't have one." Chris said with a shrug. 

"Thank you. I did, but it got damaged awhile back. This is so much nicer than the last one too." Rachel placed it beside her with her shirt and necklace.

"My gift is going to be the pie." Victoria told her with a small smile. Rachel nodded her head in understanding. She really didn't care if anyone got her gifts or not, she much preferred being able to just be around her family without it being because of death or hunts. These moments were precious to her, something that money would never be able to buy.

After the paper had been thrown away and all the gifts loaded into her car Rachel stayed a bit longer and drank with her brother and his wife. Allison had retired to her room, but all the adults could faintly hear her laughing on the phone with someone. Chris assumed it was Lydia, his daughter's best friend, but Rachel had an idea that it was Scott. Allison was laughing far too freely for it to be anyone else. However she kept her mouth shut on the matter and instead made chat with her own company. 

Chris had asked her about the bow the moment that Allison disappeared. He didn't seem all that mad about it, like Rachel had been expecting, but instead he was more concerned. Victoria had stayed oddly silent throughout the entire conversation about it. Rachel explained that her truest intention was indeed to just make Allison happy with a good gift. The girl had loved her archery lessons when she'd taken them, she was a natural with a bow. Yet, at the end Rachel did also tell her brother that there was a secondary reason for giving her the bow, and yes, that reason was a self-defense reason.

"The girl can hardly handle a gun." The raven haired huntress said as she took another sip of her drink. She's switched out her wine to sip on some vodka she'd found hidden in the back of the freezer. "She handles a bow much better, and a doubt you'd want her to handle something that would end up putting her with arm's reach of a wolf."

"Yes, but she shouldn't have to use any weapon. I don't want this life for her." Chris stressed. He'd stopped drinking and was quickly sobering. Thank god.

Rachel bit her tongue to avoid telling him that his daughter already was part of this life. She was dating a young alpha. 

"With Kate running around on the loose I don't know how long we can keep her in the dark. I will not push her, but you need to at least make sure that if the times comes she won't be completely defenseless." Rachel said slowly. 

A silent breath hung in the air between the three of them. It was sobering, the thought that Kate might actually resort to hurting someone of her own kin, but the possibility was there and all too real. 

"Let's talk about something else. It is Christmas Eve." Victoria gently laid a hand on her husband's shoulder and gestured that they move to the living room again.

"Right. Time to watch grandma get run over by a reindeer." Rachel said, quickly shifting gear and dragging everyone to the T.V.

* * *

It was almost midnight when Rachel arrived back at the Hale house. Chris had driven her back to the house with Victoria following behind with her car. Derek met them half way down the drive with Laura a few steps behind.

"What happened?" The wolf asked with a hint of concern as he watched Chris haul Rachel out of his Sudan. 

"She's fine." He assured Derek as Rachel righted herself on slightly unsteady legs. "Just had a little bit too much is all."

"I'm fin'." Rachel said, waving a careless hand in her brother's direction as she walked to Derek. "I missed you." The huntress cooed as she hugged him around the middle. Laura sounded like she was choking on air as she suppressed her laughter.

"I missed you too." Derek said as he rubbed her back soothingly. "We should get you to bed." He turned her around and gently led her up the stairs.

Behind them Rachel could faintly hear Laura talking to Chris and getting the keys from Victoria. 

Once inside the house Rachel felt the world crashing down around her. It was hot in the room and her feet felt like lead, but if Talia found her passed out on the coach the next morning there would be hell to pay. Nothing would be worse than waking up and finding a hungover huntress camped out in your fully decorated living room. Derek must have felt her slowing down because in an instant she was lifted up and carried the rest of the way to the room.

"I'm sorry." Rachel sighed out as she rested her face on her boyfriend's shoulder. "I shouldn't have drank so much, but there was this deep depressing talk that was my fault and Chris looked so sad and then we were watching T.V and I started this drinking game to cheer him up and then it just went uphill from there but I wasn't paying attention to how much I was taking in..." She rambled against the skin of his neck. "God I'm a mess." She finally huffed.

"Nah." Derek said as he placed her on her feet. He'd managed to carry her to their bathroom and now was holding her steady in front of the skin. "You just enjoyed yourself a little. It's fine. I'm just glad they got you home." He told her as he plucked her toothbrush from its holding place. 

Rachel went into auto-pilot mode and brushed her teeth slowly. After that she cleaned her face and got ready for bed. The entire time Derek hovered close by, ready to help if he saw he start to struggle with something. 

Finally Rachel crawled into bed and tucked herself under the covers. She felt so tired. Her eyelids had never been this heavy before, but then again, she'd never had that much to drink. Derek laid down beside her and as soon as he got situated Rachel attached herself to him. It was boiling hot under the covers, but the feeling of his rising and falling chest outweighed the discomfort of the heat.

"I like the sound of your heart." Rachel mumbled, before succumbing to the dark and drifting off. She vaguely remembered the feeling Derek carding his hands through her dark hair and the rumble in his chest as he growled.

* * *

Before Rachel opened her eyes she could feel the pain in her head. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was there, enough so that it was irritating. Taking a deep breath she opened her eyes and braced herself against the light that assaulted her. The light wasn't coming from outside, but rather from the bedside alarm clock. The green glow bounced around the room and illuminated the cracks and crevices. Derek was under her, or at least half of him was, Rachel found that she was practically laying atop him with her head on his chest. This wasn't unusual, but his breathing wasn't deep like it normally was.

"Did I wake you?" Rachel inquired as she lifted her head carefully to look at him.

"No, I've been awake for awhile." Derek told her without bothering to open his eyes. "How do you feel?"

"I've been worse." The huntress told him honestly. "I might go get a glass of water. Head hurts, but not too bad."

Derek finally shifted into a sitting position and he pulled Rachel up with him. Her head spun for a second but it quickly righted itself. For a moment Derek just held her there and breathed in her scent. Sometimes Rachel found this odd, but it was a wolf thing, and she knew that it was important to him, so she let him do it. Once he was done he let her go and she got up off the bed to trek to the kitchen. 

Pulling down a glass she filled it with water and sipped it slowly. From the corner of her eye she saw something move in the dark and before she could really think anything through she'd spun around and kicked out at the movement. There was an undignified yelp and then the sound of something landing on the floor. When Rachel's eyes focused she noticed Peter on his back looking up at her with disbelief. 

"Shit. I'm sorry. Peter, oh my god I'm so sorry." She rushed out as she put her water down and helped him up. He rubbed his lower back, but otherwise seemed fine. "Are you alright? I just... I thought that..." Rachel didn't know what to say so she just stopped talking and snapped her mouth shut.

"It is alright. I keep forgetting you're a hunter by nature. I didn't exactly let you know I was coming up behind you." Peter seemed will to brush the situation off so Rachel let him. "What are you doing up so early?" He asked, changing the direction of conversation.

"My head was hurting. Drank to much at Chris's place." She explained as she picked up her glass and polished off the rest of the water. "What time is it?" 

"Nearly 5:30. Talia should be waking up soon to start cooking. I came down to help her." He explained as he moved silently around the room. He was opening cabinets and pulling out bowls and ingredients. "You should go lay back down. See if you can't get that headache to go away. The last thing you'll want is a headache with a room filled with Hales and company." He explained. Rachel nodded her head and thanked him before rushing up the stairs.

As soon as she closed the door she threw herself into the covers and tried her best to imitate how a turtle would hide in its shell. Derek tried to pull the covers off her head, but she held onto them with a vice grip.

"Rachel, what happened?" He tried again to pull the covers, but he didn't get very far.

"I'm an idiot. I saw a shadow and thought it was Kate and it turned out the be Peter. I knocked him flat on his ass and now I bet he thinks I'm stupid for being so jumpy. God, I'm such a fuck up." She rushed the words out and tightened the covers around her form.

Derek let out a huff and shook his head. Instead of trying to pull the covers off of her again he slipped under the covers and grabbed her around the middle whilst digging his fingers into her sides. This sparked a battle of epic proportions. The huntress gasped and jerked around, trying to dislodge Derek's fingers, but the covers quickly wrapped around the both of them tighter, making movement limited. Derek did his best to avoid getting kicked and when Rachel turned to face him he wound his legs around hers so that she couldn't knee him.

"Derek!" She hissed out as she managed to pry one of his hands off her. "I'm going to kill you! Stop it!" 

Derek only laughed at her lowly as he easily overpowered her and pressed her into the mattress to stop her movement entirely. By now Rachel was bucking the trashing, trying to get her nails or teeth on him in any way she could. The huntress really did not like being tickled it seemed.

"I'll stop if you promise me you'll stop thinking that you're going to ruin things." He whispered to her in a hushed voice. Rachel stopped moving and took a moment to catch her breath.

"You don't know I won't." She whispered back. Why were they whispering? "I could have hurt Peter."

"Peter is an old wolf. He probably could have handled himself in a real fight. If he needed to he could have transformed and overpowered you." Derek flashed his blue eyes and ever so slightly tightened his hold on her to prove his point. 

Rachel wanted to say something, retort and prove him wrong, but when she thought about it she came to realize that he was right. Peter could have been back on his feet in seconds and had her in pieces if he really thought that she was a threat. Going slack under Derek she huffed and ran her hands over her face.

"I hate it when you're right." She hissed without any venom. Derek grinned down at her and let his eyes go back to normal. His hands replaced her's on her face as he leaned down to give her a kiss.

It was simple, and sweet, but Rachel wanted more than simple and sweet. She needed reassurance that she wasn't going to hurt her new 'family'. So she wrapped her arms around the back of Derek's neck and pulled him back to her for a more heated kiss. Derek didn't seem to mind. His hands left her face as he braced himself on either side of her so that he wasn't laying directly on top of her anymore. His weight wasn't so bad, but in truth he was heavier than her and after some time it would have gotten uncomfortable for her. They stayed like that for awhile. Swapping spit and mapping the others' mouth with tongue. It wasn't rushed but it wasn't slow either. It was perfect for them.

Derek eventually left her mouth to trail kissed down the column of her neck. As he moved Rachel tilted to give him more room to work with as she tried to get her breathing more regulated. She was no blushing virgin, but her neck was sensitive, and it had been awhile since she'd done anything with anyone. She failed to hold in a high sigh when Derek bit down softly on her skin and her hands tangled themselves in his hair so that they had at least something to hold onto. For awhile he stayed there at her neck, biting spots and sucking bruises before kissing them and moving on to the next spot. It was driving her insane.

"Derek." Rachel tugged slightly at his hair to get his attention. He looked up from what he was doing to give her a questioning look. "As much as I would love to continue this I think we should stop."

"Did I... I didn't push you, did I?" He asked, voice now laced with alarm and concern and fear. Rachel pulled him up and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.

"No, I just don't want your mom or Laura walk in on us like this. I mean it is Christmas and they are going to be getting up soon." Rachel reasoned with him as she threw the covers off them.

Derek didn't move for a long minute. It looked like he was trying to gather himself, and honestly Rachel couldn't blame him. She was having a hard time herself with slowing down her heart rate. God, she'd make a terrible werewolf.

"Alright. I'm going to take a shower and get ready then." Derek told her before lifting himself off the bed and disappearing into the bathroom. 

With him gone Rachel could breath a little easier and arrange her thoughts. It wasn't like she was opposed to sleeping with Derek. He was good looking and from their time together she'd concluded that he genuinely cared about her. The sentiment was returned. Yet every time things seemed to get heated there was something or someone that demanded their attention, or one of them would pull away for one of many reasons. Derek was afraid he'd hurt her, Rachel was scared she'd trigger something Kate had done to him, both of them felt it was too much too fast. The list seemed endless. 

The huntress rolled onto her stomach and rested her head on the pillow, her headache was gone thankfully. The sound of the shower running lulled her to a state of almost sleep, but she kept herself awake knowing that as soon as Derek was done she'd have to shower and get ready too. 

Derek didn't take long showers. He was in and out within 20 minutes with a towel wrapped around his waist. Rachel gave him an appreciative look before grabbing her things and vanishing into the bathroom. When she caught a look at herself in the mirror she just about dropped her clothes and towel on the floor. Derek loved to leave marks, but her neck looked like he'd chewed on it for hours. Gingerly she pressed against one of the darker patches. It didn't hurt. Growling to herself she flung open the door just in time to see him zip up his jeans. 

"What the fuck did you do to my neck!" She nearly shouted as she gestured to her bruised skin. "A hickey or two is one thing, but this looks like you mauled me with your mouth."

"You seemed to enjoy it." He told her sheepishly. His face looked torn between being proud at his handiwork and regretful that she had to sport such a mark for everyone to see. "I didn't realize it would bruise that badly." He finally breathed out as he walked over to her. His hand gently stroked the dark skin. "Does it hurt?"

"No, but I can't hide this. Not all of it at least." Rachel let out a sigh as she resigned herself to the fact that she was going to spend Christmas being sent 'knowing' looks from the family. "Oh lord, Cora is going to have a field day."

The horrified look on Derek's face made everything better.

* * *

 

When Rachel and Derek walked down the stairs the first person they ran into was Deaton. To his credit the man didn't even comment about the marks on her neck, instead her complimented her on how her white blouse and necklace looked. Rachel thanked him and credited Allison to her taste in clothing. Derek wasn't as dressed up as she was. He was wearing a nicer pair of jeans and a green short sleeved dress shirt. Deaton was wearing a shirt of similar style, but it was royal blue and matched well with his black slacks.

As they were talking by the stair way Laura was coming down the stairs in a nice dress. She stopped on the last step as she surveyed Rachel with a critical eye. The huntress almost wanted to cover her neck, but refrained from doing so. Derek was about to say something to her, but Cora chose that time to pop her head from the living room and tell them to hurry up. The young wolf took one look at Rachel, smiled, and vanished back into the living room with phone in hand.

"I can almost guarantee that within the next 10 minutes I will be getting a text from Allison." Rachel mourned aloud. 

"Well, that's what happens when you let my brother chew on your neck. Although, good for him, at least others will know you're being pursued and not give chase. If they do it would be a death sentence." Laura said calmly, before walking past them and into the living room to join her sister.

Deaton hummed to himself and ushered them to follow him into the room where the rest of the Hales were gathering. Talia, like Deaton, didn't say anything. Peter gave her a sly look, Cora refused to look up from her phone, and Laura was looking pleased that her brother had finally decided to make a 'formal move' as she deemed it. 

"Alright everyone, lets open the gifts before the company arrives." Talia directed everyone to find a place to sit and get comfortable. Talia took the armchair in the middle of the room, Deaton to the seat to her right side and Laura to her left. Peter perched himself on the ledge of the window, which was no surprise to anyone, and Rachel sat on the couch. Derek and Cora found themselves on gift duty and ended up sitting on the floor in front of the tree.

Gifts were handed out one by one and slowly the room filled with torn paper and discarded bows. It was fun to watch everyone tearing open boxes with hints of childhood joy behind their eyes. Even Talia seemed to be fighting the urge to giggle like a child as she tore paper and tape from parcels. 

Cora ended up getting a new phone, a case for said phone, decent earphones, a new pair of jeans, the charm bracelet, and a gift card to her favorite makeup store. The charm bracelet seemed to have made her happy since she put it on almost as soon as she got all of the wrapping paper out of the way.

Laura had gotten a stash of money, some movies that she'd been looking to buy for ages now, a new pair of running shoes, and a set of shot glasses in the shapes of wolves heads. Laura shot Rachel a look when she opened the shot glasses and the huntress just gave her a knowing smile. She'd caught the young alpha eyeing them before when they'd gone shopping together. 

Peter was also pleased with his loot. He'd gotten a new laptop, a cooking book filled with all kinds of complicated recipes that would keep him occupied for hours, some nicely scented candles, and a wooden wine glass set.

Talia received a hand painted humming bird feeder, some chocolate soaps in a set box, a necklace with her childrens' names engraved on it, and a tea set that contained tea leaves from around the world.

Deaton was gifted a load of herbs that Rachel couldn't identity or even pronounce without sounding like she was drunk.

Derek was pleased with his gifts. He'd gotten the speakers for his car, a new shaving kit (because Rachel hated his stubble with a passion), a nice luxury watch, a nice set of tools, and a bottle of cologne. 

Rachel was given a nice white and blue sweater shirt, a set of nice nail polishes, a bottle of expensive perfume, and some accessories to put in her car. 

Once everyone filed away their gifts into their rooms and cleaned up the wrapping paper they got ready for the guests to start arriving. Around noon the extended Hale family started showing up in small waves. Derek, Laura, and Talia introduced Rachel to cousins, in-laws, and close family friends as they appeared through the door. Some people were wolves, others were not, but it didn't matter. Everyone seemed to be getting along and have a good time. Kids were sent outside to player after eating lunch and the adults stayed inside to chit-chat and catch up with one another. The huntress milled around and made light conversation with whomever happened to be nearby. Derek was never far away, and when he saw Rachel struggling with conversation he came to her rescue by taking the spotlight. 

Time flew by and it almost seemed like the day was over within the blink of an eye. The extended family was leaving with armfuls of leftovers and promises of writing letters and staying in touch. Rachel watched the last of the relatives leave from her spot in the living room. Laura, Peter, and Cora were in the kitchen cleaning up plates while Derek was with Talia and Deaton making rounds of the house to make sure that nothing important was left behind. 

With a deep breath Rachel rolled her stiff shoulders and trucked her way up the stairs and into her room. No one needed her help and she felt as if she'd had the energy sucked out of her. There'd been so many people in the house today. Between playing with all the children, talking to all the adults, eating all the food, and trying not to be her awkward self she'd nearly exhausted herself completely. Kicking off her shoes she flopped onto the bed and closed her eyes.

Derek would have to forgive her for not kissing him goodnight and cuddling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late guys. College is killing me right now.


	7. A Face From The Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas has passed. Everyone gets back to their routines, but a surprise comes out of nowhere when a friend of Rachel's suddenly appears again after being gone for so long. Their history upsets a certain broody wolf.

It was quiet in the house with Cora back at school. Talia, Peter, and Deaton were out in town picking up groceries for the month, which left Rachel, Derek, and Laura home alone. Although, to be honest, Rachel had no idea where Laura was. The huntress hadn't seen the younger alpha for some time. No doubt she was either hidden away somewhere taking a nap or plotting how best to get Rachel to sleep with her brother. The huntress shuddered at the last thought. Derek had brought it to her attention that the longer they waited the more persistent she was going to get. It was already bad enough that she was dropping innuendo comments and making sly remarks when she could squeeze them in. 

Shaking her head to clear those thoughts Rachel looked to her side and gazed down at her significant other. Derek was face down in a pile of pillows with a blanket covering the bottom part of his body. They'd claimed the floor in front of the television and had binge watched Doctor Who all through the night. It wasn't surprising to Rachel that he was so tuckered out. Scott and his pack had been very demanding of him lately. Talia refused to let the younger members of the pack do anything without either her, Laura, Peter, or Derek accompanying them. 

"Babe." Rachel said softly as she ran her fingertips through his hair. It was soft from the shower he'd taken last night and the huntress took a moment to enjoy the texture. "Come on, wake up. Go lay in bed. You'll feel better there than on the floor." She reasoned as she tried to move him onto his back.

Derek just grunted and tried to swat away her hand.

"Derek, come on." Rachel huffed as she stood up. Looping her hands under his arms she heaved him up to his knees. With a groan the Hale got to his feet and shot her a not-so-heated-glare. 

"Come with me?" He asked her as he wrapped the blanket around his shoulders. Rachel wanted to tell him how much he looked like a child, but instead she smiled tightly and shook her head.

"I have work to do. We still have to find Kate. You go get a nap in, I'll wake you up around lunch time." Derek looked a little put out by the statement, but didn't argue with her. Instead he gave her a quick kiss and turned to vanish up the stairs into their room.

Once she heard the click of the door she let out a long sigh and began to pick up the pillows and place them back on the couches where they belonged. Rachel knew that she should have been tired like Derek, but her mind was so busy that she hardly found time to even relax. Her body was tense all the time, which could not have been good for someone her age, but every time she tried to calm herself she started to think about Kate.

The past few weeks there had been a lot of activity in the area. Hunters were strolling in and out of the town at an alarming rate. Chris was doing all he could to ebb the flow, Victoria was pulling all the strings she could to pry information from them without breaking the code herself, and Rachel had been unable to do anything. She was practically under house arrest by Talia and Deaton. Peter was like a watchdog over her when night fell after he caught her trying to sneak out once. It was unfair that Derek was allowed to leave freely to visit Scott.

While Rachel knew that it was logical that she stay indoors until they had a definite location on Kate it still was killing her slowly. The feeling of being useless was starting to eat at her mind. Derek and the other Hales seemed to be picking up on her irritation. Cora had tried to keep her mind occupied by keeping her up to date on all the gossip going around school. Laura had bought all the board games under the sun to play with her. Talia poured money into their movie collection. Peter tried to teach her about cars and how to work on them. Deaton showed her how to make salves with common plants. And Derek was more understanding with her requests.

Moving into the kitchen Rachel booted up her laptop and started fishing around for anything that might lead her to her sister. She was running through police channels and monitoring phone numbers previously used by her sister in the past. It was a long shot that she would resort to using those numbers again, especially when she knew that Rachel and Chris were looking for her, but one could hope. It seemed to all be a waste of time, so the huntress sent out a few messages to her own contacts asking if they'd heard anything the past few days. A few of them sent responses to her quickly. It was all the same. Either there was nothing new, or they were looking into possible leads but they suspected that they were dead ends. Like always.

Grunting in frustration Rachel leaned back in the chair and tugged her fingers through her hair. 

"Calm down." Laura told her as she entered the kitchen. The werewolf made a beeline for the coffee pot and started to make herself a cup of java. "Pulling your hair out won't help you find her any sooner."

Rachel wanted to snap at the other female. She opened her mouth to say something rude but stopped herself. Instead she closed her mouth and chose to ignore the other.

"You're angry at me." It wasn't a question, rather a statement.

"Yes." The huntress told her tensely.

"I don't understand why." Laura said softly as she sat down across from the huntress. "Have I done something to offend you?"

"I'm just... tired." Rachel told her slowly as she forced her hands to un-clench. When had she clenched them? "I'm tired of being stuck in this house to stew in my own thoughts. Tired of you making comments about me and Derek. I'm tried of everyone thinking I'm made of fucking glass. I'm tried of feeling like I'm contributing nothing to this search effort. Most of all I'm tried of how much all of this bothers me! I understand why I have to stay here, I understand why you are making the comments, and I understand that I'm human and easily broken, but god dammit I don't know how much longer I can take this Laura. I feel like I'm going insane. I'm not sleeping, I'm not eating, and..." Rachel trailed off as she exhaled shakily. "I feel like I'm bringing Derek down with me. And I hate that."

Laura sat there and just listened to her rant. When the huntress finished she sipped at her drink as she peered at her thoughtfully.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't aware my comments were upsetting you. It is just that I wish you and my brother would mate already. I know mating is a werewolf term, but as far as we Hales are concerned you are pack now." Rachel's face heated a little at the comment but Laura continued as if everything were normal. "I shall stop harassing you two about it. As for you not contributing to the search, I think you are doing just fine. No one has heard much these past few weeks. Kate has many allies that help her keep to the shadows. There isn't anything any of us can do until we know more, and finding information is hard to do when we are bound to a moral code." She explained as she ran a finger on the rim of her cup.

 "I understand." Rachel finally said on an exhale. 

"Good." Laura said with a smile as she downed the rest of her drink in one go. "I hear mom pulling up the drive. Help me bring in some groceries?"

"Yeah."

* * *

It was almost time to start dinner when there was a knock at the door. Rachel and Talia were in the kitchen preparing dinner when the sound came. The two shared a confused look before exiting into the main hall. Derek was at the door talking to someone and when he moved they saw that it was Chris standing in the doorway. To Rachel he seemed to be a little uneasy. His hands were shoved into his pockets, he was shifting his weight from foot to foot, and his eyes didn't really seem to want to focus on anything.

"Hey." Rachel called from the kitchen entrance. "What are you doing here?" 

Chris looked at her and gave a tight smile before motioning her to follow him outside. Derek gave her a concerned look, but moved out of the way as she followed her brother. 

"I'll be right back. He might just want to talk about something on his mind." Rachel assured the Hale as she gave him a peck on the cheek.

It took a little bit of jogging before she caught up with her brother, and he didn't stop walking till they had reached the end of the gravel driveway before he turned around to look at her. The huntress stayed silent as Chris tried to catch his thoughts.

"They can't hear us can they?" He asked, pointing back to the house. 

"Not at this distance, no. What is going on? Chris, you are starting to scare me." She told him as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm sorry." He started to pace in front of her. "That wasn't my intention. I just don't want them to know until you do, because this is all up to you about how we handle this."

"Handle what?" Now she was confused.

"Jake." Chris said the name with just a tone that Rachel knew instantly who he was referring to.

"Jake Keller? My Jake? Like, gone for five years, thought to be dead, it's me not you, Jake?" Rachel asked, almost stunned. 

"Yes. That one. He just showed up at my house. Said that he'd heard about what happened with Kate, that we were asking questions, and he offered to help." Chris ran his hands over his face with a groan.

"What did you tell him?" 

"Tell him? I didn't tell him anything. I tried to kill him!" Chris said vehemently. "After what he did to you? How did he think that coming to me was gonna solve anything? The bastard had the audacity to ask if you were with me and if he could see you!" He snorted in disgust. "I had him on the ground in seconds. It was Allison crying that finally got me off him. Victoria told him he wasn't welcome at our home, and that if we had anything to say to him we'd find him. I have nothing to say to that dirt bag, but I know the advantages he could bring to the table, so I figured if anyone has to make the call it should be you." He finally stopped pacing and looked at his sister. "Whatever you choose I will support. We don't need him, but..."

"He would be helpful." Rachel finished for him as she let out a long sigh. "How is he alive? We all looked for him. We searched the entire nation from top to bottom looking for him." 

"Maybe he went aboard? I didn't stop to ask him where he'd been."

Rachel took her brother's hands and inspected them closely. The skin on his knuckles was broken and bruised. Red, black, purple, and yellow colors adorned him. Whatever happened in their fight, clearly her brother had won. No wonder Allison had started crying.

"You should get this cleaned. Don't want it to get infected. I could grab a first aid kit from the Hales." She offered slowly as she turned his hands over.

"Don't change the subject on me Rachel." He took his hands out of her grasp. "We need to solve this. I don't want this looming in the air and have it damaging our ability to focus."

"You mean my ability to focus." She accused. Chris didn't say anything, just stood there and waited. "I'll have to think on this." She finally breathed. "I'll need to weigh the pros and cons, and Derek, god I'll have to talk to Derek about this."

"Why does he need to know about Jake?"

"Because he's my boyfriend Chris. If Jake is going to be working with us then he needs to know about everything that happened in the past so that nothing can come and surprise him. I owe him that." She told her brother exasperatedly. 

"Fine. You let me know as soon as you decide something." Chris began walking to his car. He seemed to be better now that he'd let some steam out. "I have to go assure my daughter that her father isn't going to be picked up by the police for assault."

"How did he look when you were through with him?" Rachel asked, a little bit curious.

Chris got into the car before turning to look at her with a smug face.

"Oh, you'd have been proud."

* * *

 

Rachel didn't think about talking to Derek until after dinner, when everyone had already gone to bed. The two of them were sitting in the living room doing their own things. Derek was toying with some kind of metal puzzle his sister had gotten him, and Rachel had been looking through a book of plants that would help her with her healing salves. 

Placing the bookmark on her page she closed it slowly and watched as Derek did the finishing touches on his puzzle. "I need to tell you something." She told him softly, breaking the silence in the room. Derek slowly put his finished puzzle down and gave her his full attention.

"Chris came over to give me some news." Rachel took a breath as she tried to think of how best to tell Derek everything. "It wasn't necessarily bad news, but it is concerning. An ex from my past has rolled into town. He's heard about the Kate situation and wants to help me and Chris find her."

"Okay." Derek nodded his head slowly. "So, is this an issue?" Rachel saw the tension in his shoulders from the moment she'd said "ex".

"Look, Derek, if you're worried about me leaving you for him then stop. I'm not. He..." She took a breath and let it out slowly. "He wasn't physically abusive, but he was in all accounts very abusive. Mentally and emotionally. He's a hunter, and he plays by the Code, but me and him didn't agree on a lot of things. I allowed for gray areas and he didn't. If I did anything he didn't agree with it led to all out fights. Five years ago he told me he was leaving on a hunt, and that when he got back I needed to be gone. Only he didn't come back. We thought he was dead, we searched for him, I searched for him." Rachel took a moment to realize her eyes were watery.

"I realized that while I didn't love him he was one of the only people other than Chris that I had. Even with all of his faults and flaws. He's smart. He would be able to help us with finding Kate, but I need to know if this is going to be an issue with you. If you are uncomfortable in any way then I'll say no. I don't want him showing up to throw a wrench between us." Rachel tried hard to get her eyes to stop watering. "I need to know what you're thinking."

"I trust you." Derek's voice was firm and honest, Rachel could see it clearly. "If he can help, then bring him on board, but if he starts anything I will end him. My family and your safety take priority over everything else. If he turns back on his old vices I won't hesitate to throw him out of Hale territory."

The huntress smiled at her boyfriend. "Deal."

* * *

It wasn't hard for Rachel to find Jake. He'd left a phone number with Victoria after the beating Chris had given him. She'd sat on the number for a few days before finally deciding how exactly to approach the situation. Calling Jake herself would have been the easiest option, but for some reason the huntress just didn't want the other hunter to have her number lingering in his phone. She may have wanted his help, but the past was a hard thing to bury, and she still held an unhealthy amount of resentment for how things had ended between them. 

No, instead of Rachel calling him and setting up a meeting she had Victoria do it for her. It almost felt like a coward's move, but it was done with now and there was no changing it.

As Rachel entered the coffee shop she felt a wave of uncertainty hit her like a tsunami. She'd convinced the Hales that she needed to meet with Jake alone. They needed to sort things out between each other before the huntress would allow him to work with them on finding Kate. If they couldn't fix the bridge between them then there was no possibility at working alongside each other again. Derek had protested loudly at her going alone simply because he was worried about possible ambush. The cold metal of her gun pressed against her hip soothed his fears a small amount. 

Finding Jake in the small crowd of people wasn't hard. He was seated by the front window, his back to her. From where she was standing she could see the side of his face. It was almost like five years hadn't passed since she last saw him. His brown hair was styled in the same messy medium cut it had always been, he still had that slight upturn smirk plastered on his face, sunglasses clipped to the front of his shirt when he didn't have them on. As she approached she noticed the only change was the scar that bisected his lip and the fading bruises and cuts. No doubt Chris's doing.

"Jake Keller." She said smoothly as she slid into the seat across from him. "Long time no see."

Jake, to his credit, didn't startle at her sudden arrival. The hunter simply straighten his back and let his smirk melt to a soft smile that held a tint of what Rachel guessed was regret. Rachel took a moment to give him a quick once over. His dress style had changed over the years. He'd ditched the button down shirt and nice jeans for a tee-shirt and worn jeans. His faux wool coat replaced by a sleek black leather jacket. 

"Rachel Argent. It has been awhile hasn't it?" He said slowly, as if considering his words. They both sat there for a few heartbeats before Jake waved over a waiter. "I'll pay." He told the huntress before gesturing for her to order her coffee.

"Large coffee with cream, no sugar." Rachel said quickly. The waiter jotted down her order before disappearing behind the bar to make her beverage. The two of them again lapsed into tense silence.

"No 'where have you been' questions?"

"I feel that is a question I shouldn't have to ask."

"Fair." Jake conceded before taking a long draw from his drink. "I suppose I owe you some answers."

"You only owe me what you feel you do. None of this is an obligation." Rachel quickly interrupted him. Her tone held a slight clip to it. "I would like to know what the fuck happened to you. You're gone for five years, no word, no proof of life, nothing. Then you show up out of nowhere butting your nose into something personal to my life after telling me to piss off? You don't owe me anything, but I don't owe you squat either. So how about we stop beating around the bush and you get to the point on why you're here?" 

Rachel realized that she'd been slowly leaning herself across the table to where she'd been hissing at the other hunter's face. With a disgusted grunt she pulled herself back to her own chair and forced her hands into her lab. Thankfully the waiter came back with her drink and she busied herself with that. Taking small sipped of the scalding liquid in attempt to get her emotions under control. How did she think she would be able to do this without losing her temper. This was Jake Keller after all. She'd loved his man and he'd vanished without a trace after a heart wrenching breakup.

"I went to Europe." Jake set his cup down and folded his hands over one another on the table. "Some distant family of mine needed help on a hunt. Rouge Alpha was tearing up the countryside there. Six hunters dead, three more missing, and bodies were piling up. So I went and we took the beast down. I got... caught up in some stuff over there. My mind wasn't right after our fight and I didn't want to come back to the States. Figured you were better off without me. We fought so often and it just wasn't healthy. For either of us." Jake looked at her then. "I'm sorry. I can't say that I didn't mean to hurt you, because I knew that I was, but I did it because I figured in the long run it would pay off. Even though we fought so much I did care about you. Hell, still do. Even with the bad we had some good." His smile upturned a fraction.

Rachel gave him a feeble smile back. He wasn't wrong. Through their fights they'd forged a strong bond together, and more than a small part of her was glad to see that he was alive and well. It was so conflicting. She wanted so badly to hate him for all the pain he'd put her through, but it wasn't possible.

"Jake, you still haven't told me why you're here." 

"Chatter has been flowing through the network. I caught wind of a rumor that the Argents were having an internal struggle. Thought I'd take a look for myself. I get to the States and I hear that Kate has a target pained on your back while you and Chris have a bounty on her head. I get into town and I behold the chaos. Figured you could use another pair of eyes watching your back." Jake fiddled with the top of his cup before letting out a defeated sigh. "Like I said, I still care. I'd rather not have to see you buried at a young age."

Rachel could see his words for what they were actually worth. Jake wasn't much a man for affection, and he'd pretty much confessed his love never faded for her. His hand had slowly been inching to cover her's but she pulled it back, out of his reach, which earned her a confused and hurt look.

"I'm guessing I'm a little too late." Jake trailed.

"Just a little." Rachel said tightly.

"Who's the lucky guy?" Jake finished his coffee before leaning back in his chair, putting obvious distance between them.

"Derek Hale." 

Rachel watched as Jake's hand tightened around his now empty cup. His eyes, which had been surveying the outside street, snapped to look at her with a piercing look. The carefully aloof posture he'd kept in place was now gone. His jaw clenched, eyes sharp, body ready to spring. 

It was a little alarming.

"That's a problem?" Rachel asked slowly, challenging Jake to make a wrong move.

"It is concerning. As far as I knew the Hales and Argents don't have a good track record. Kate used Derek to get to the Hales, and now you're dating him? How do you know he isn't using you? He's killed before Rachel, hunters have seen his eyes. You can't trust him. I know we don't always see things on the same level. You know me. I won't hunt an innocent wolf, but I won't trust one enough to let them see me vulnerable either." Jake was leaning across the table now. 

"I assure you that Derek isn't using me for personal gain." Rachel stood up from her chair and downed the rest of her coffee. She knew Jake, knew where this conversation was leading, and she didn't want to hear it. 

"Rachel, please." He stood up and grabbed her arm as she moved to leave. "Listen to me. Let me help you." He was pleading now, something Rachel had rarely seen him do before. "Let me take care of you. I don't wanna see you hurt by this, by him."

"If you didn't want to see me hurt, maybe you shouldn't have left in the first place." It was a low blow, and Rachel felt a small inkling of satisfaction at his recoil to that statement. Jerking out of his grip she adjusted her jacket. "Thanks for the coffee, I'll contact you if I have information to give."

Thankfully Jake let her go. He was a smart man. He'd always known when he lost a battle.

* * *

As soon as Rachel walked through the door to the Hale's house she felt better. Laura called to her from the kitchen, but she ignored it and made a beeline for her and Derek's room. Inside the room she kicked off her shoes and threw herself on top of the covers with a loud drawn out sigh. Derek came through the door a few moments later.

"How did it go? Is he on board?" Derek seemed to sense her uneasiness and he reflected it by shifting from foot to foot.

Instead of answering him right away she grabbed him by the forearm and dragged him into bed with her. Once he settled Rachel wrapped herself around him, tangling their legs together so that he couldn't move without moving her as well. 

"Jake was Jake. He is concerned about my relationship with you. Claims he wants the best for me, but while he won't hunt an innocent wolf he doesn't explicitly trust your kind either. He genuinely wants to help, but I'm concerned he won't by focused on the task and he'll end up getting himself killed in the process." Rachel chose not to tell Derek that Jake still had interest in her, that wouldn't help anyone. "I'm going to give him a few days to simmer down before I pull him into this. He needs to know where I stand and I need to see where he stands."

Derek hummed thoughtfully. Rachel could tell he wasn't thrilled by the news, but it was obvious he was attempting to respect her choices. Leaning up she placed a kiss next to his mouth and took joy in the smile it earned her.

"I love my broody wolf." She mumbled against his skin. 

"Not so broody with you around." He told her affectionately.

Minutes ticked by with them just laying there in comforting silence.

"Are we just going to lay here all day?" Derek asked her in a teasing tone.

"Yes. We are going to have a lazy day and sleep away the world. Or, at least I am. You're my personal heater." The huntress told him. It was surprising how such a short encounter with Jake had tired her out. 

"Alright. Goodnight dear."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter is a little short for my liking, but I wanted to get an update out there and let you all know that I haven't given up on this story. Life has been really hard lately, but things are on the incline now.
> 
> Thanks for all the support and patience!


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